Could there really be an alternative for marijuana? Is there really something out there that is legal that can get you high? To all you marijuana smokers in the United States the answer is yes. Lately in the news you have been hearing about the popular “legal” K2 incense, “Happy Shaman”, and “Spice” products that many people have been buying from smoke shops across the nation. It has been coined synthetic marijuana because it gives you the same affects as marijuana if inhaling it but is a lot more intense and harmful for you. Local and Nationwide authorities have been stepping in and banning the substances because of reports of heart attacks and high blood pressure from smoking it. But is making the substance illegal really going to stop the sale and nationwide consumption of this product? I believe the illegalization of synthetic marijuana is going to have no affect on buying and consuming the products because many people do not care about the side effects, the marijuana industry hasn’t changed, and the product is easy to obtain.
K2 and spice are herbs that are sprayed with chemicals. When inhaling the product, you get the same effects as if smoking marijuana. John Huffman, of Clemson University, developed the compound chemical "1-pentyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole," in 1995 when studying the effects of cannabinoids, the active ingredient in marijuana. Government officials are concerned about the product because the chemical sprayed on the synthetic marijuana is leading to an increase in heart rates and high blood pressure. But do the people buying the product really care? The answer is no.
Many people know that synthetic marijuana is bad for them. They have heard the warnings and consequences of smoking this product. For most people either smoking weed or the legal weed, they do it to get the sensation of that high. There are side effects to smoking both products so you typically find the common smoker asking, what’s the big deal? Government officials trying to warn people about the side effects will do nothing for most of the people who obtain synthetic marijuana. This is why banning the product because of its potentially harmful side effects will do nothing to stop people from buying synthetic marijuana.
In a survey reported by CNN, 14.4 million United States residents admitted to smoking marijuana in the past month. Now which one of these 14.4 million people wouldn’t like to have something that gives you the same effects as marijuana, is legal, and is available for purchase? Marijuana has been illegal for many years now but when you look at the industry, it is still alive and flourishing more than ever. Somehow pot dealers and buyers are getting around the system. There is no possible way to ever stop illegal drug use and trade in the United States. There will always be a loophole that dealers and buyers alike will find.
This is the same with synthetic marijuana. As long as there are people that want to buy the product, companies will try to find a way to get the product on the market. According to the story I read, six months after the first ban of K2, the police even stated that it was pointless because merchants can so easily create a legal alternative. Right now, the companies that make the product are making slight changes to the chemical in synthetic marijuana. They are coming up with knockoffs such as “K3”, “Heaven Scent”, “Syn”, and “BoCoMo Dew.” Just like the marijuana industry, the synthetic marijuana industry will always find a way around the government issued ban.
Along with marijuana, synthetic marijuana is easy to obtain. Synthetic marijuana is just as easy as it is to go to the store and buy a candy bar. Of course you have to be 18 years old but it is still sold everywhere. In LaCrosse, there are many places that sell the synthetic marijuana. I have seen it at many different gas stations and at smoke shops. All you have to do is walk in and show your identification and the herbs are yours. The ban is not very strict right now. There are still places that sell these products and get away with it. Not everything is banned yet and there are still incenses that are available. This ban is doing nothing to stop the purchase of synthetic marijuana and many people are still purchasing it and not getting in trouble at all.
In conclusion, I think the government trying to do something about synthetic marijuana is a good thing. The thing is that it is impossible to stop the supply and demand for these products. It is just like the marijuana industry where people will keep buying it if it is illegal or not. People crave the sensation when inhaling the contents and won’t stop for nothing. Also, the companies will always find a loophole when being able to distribute and sell the synthetic marijuana. My last point is that even with the ban, it is still easy to purchase any of these synthetics without getting in trouble.
