Missouri House, Senate approve bill banning use, sale of synthetic marijuana

Missouri is on track to become the second state in the country to ban the use and sale of K2 -- a legal smokable herb meant to imitate the effects of marijuana -- after the Missouri House of Representatives passed its version of the bill Wednesday.

The Missouri Senate also gave approval to its own bill Thursday by a vote of 33-0.

The Senate will have to give final approval to one bill in order for Gov. Jay Nixon to pass the K2 ban into law.

The House version of the bill includes an emergency clause, meaning once the governor signs the bill, it would be effective immediately.

"The most important thing about this legislation has been to educate our constituents of the dangers they are facing," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Ward Franz, R-West Plains.

"This legislation has brought those dangers to the forefront. There are reports of businesses pulling K2 off their shelves due to the pending ban."

From a law enforcement perspective, said Bob Welsh of the Missouri Safety Center, K2 is a scary drug.

Welsh has been sending samples of the substance to various labs, and it has been found to contain up to six chemical compounds with the ability to produce a high stronger than marijuana.

"I am pleased that K2 is moving toward a ban," Welsh said. "A Missouri Department of Health bulletin came out about 10 days ago, and it mentioned several emergency room admissions. This chemical is harmful."

If the legislature passed the bill, K2 would be added to a list of controlled substances in Missouri and possession of the drug would be a felony.

A ban on K2 took effect Thursday in Kansas, and recently Pettis and St. Charles counties in Missouri passed local bans on the synthetic marijuana.

The substance, according to Franz, was created in a lab at Clemson University as a research tool for students to study cannabis compounds and their effect on the brains of mice.

The drug's popularity has increased on the Internet, where it's easily accessible. It's also available over the counter, with no age restrictions, at various head shops statewide.

"I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to help ensure the success of this bill as it makes its way through the process in their chambers," Franz said. "The passage of this bill is imperative to the safety and well being of Missouri families."

ehevern@semissourian.com

388-3635