A Boca Raton couple was sentenced yesterday after being convicted in November for selling synthetic marijuana, or as some have come to know by its street name “Spice.” This substance is considered highly controversial as the lasting effects of this drug are still unknown.
The substance is composed of man-made materials and is sprayed onto plants, giving it the same allure as marijuana but can easily fly under the radar of most at home drug testing kits. The couple was convicted of a level 1 offense, which is an extremely low-level offense, implying that the sale and distribution of synthetic substances warrants just a slap on the wrist.
Many have turned to using synthetic substances such as spice as it is still considered to be “legal” and little to no major health risks have directly been linked.
However, in recent years, many have taken a closer look into what exactly the side effects of these drugs are.
Scientists say that the use of spice can cause hallucinations, hemorrhaging in the lungs or can even induce panic attacks. Years ago a case out of Miami made headline news as a man, under the influence of synthetic drugs, attacked and ate the face off of another man.
The rise of synthetic substances in the area is raising eyebrows and our community it looking into what can be done and how these drugs should be viewed. Government polls of high school students showed that 1 in 9 students have tried K-2 and that after marijuana it is the most highly used substance of high school seniors.
The real question remains, does the crime fit the punishment? Palm Beach County Jail is flooded with inmates with an array of drug related offenses, but with much longer sentences attached. The couple has been sentenced to 10-months in jail and three years probation. The couple wasn’t selling the substance to individuals, but in fact to companies who sold them with labeling that reads “Potpourri” or “Incense.”
In manufacturing certain synthetic substances the labeling on the outside of the package allows drugs to slide past the FDA, and is where the line is drawn on if it is legal or not. According to the FDA, as long as the labels state “Not for human consumption” all liability is taken from the manufacturer and the shop itself, as after purchase the intended use is up to the buyer.
Some argue that the couple, while believing their act to be innocent, should be given a much more intensive sentence and that selling to a distributor, they are just as guilty as those selling drugs out on the street. Palm Beach County has been called most recently the “Substance Abuse Recovery Capital” of the United States, and with more facilities opening, the drug problem has only gotten worse.
Drugs like this, while still remaining legal, do in fact have age restrictions. One cannot just enter these retail stores, known as “head shops” and buy the products. To enter retail stores such as these, one must furnish identification proving they are of legal age. Head shops are geared toward selling glass pipes used for tobacco, hookahs and other alternative items that can easily become paraphernalia if used incorrectly. The FDA and other government outfits have put synthetic drugs on high priority. President Obama banned 26 types of synthetic cannabinoids in 2012, however with the chemical composition constantly changing, and with many of these being manufactured overseas it is getting harder and harder to control the import of these drugs into the area.
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