"K-2 - New Drug of Choice or
Harmless Incense and Herbs?"

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

"Is K-2 a new drug of choice, being used in the Hopkins County area? Or, some harmless incense made from a combination of herbs?" That's what City Council members will be asked to determine, at their regular monthly meeting, on Tuesday night, July 6, 2010. Recently brought to the forefront, when several other cities are attempting to ban the sale of K-2 within their municipalities, the substance is defined as a legal herb that proportedly mimics the high of marijuana use, when smoked.

We went out on the streets of Sulphur Springs and were readily able to purchase a package of K-2, at a price of $10.00 per gram. The herb concoction resembles tobacco, comes in an attractive package, containing 3 grams, and is even sold in "Cotton Candy" flavor, and can be purchased by anybody, regardless of age. It is readily available in the area at several "smoke shops," where tobacco is sold. The product is priced "much, much higher" than your regular "incense" and we were asked to pay for the product in "cash only," which raises a number of issues about the intent that we might have in use of our purchase.

An interview with Sulphur Springs Chief of Police, Jim Bayuk, about the use of the substance, revealed that he and his officers will be presenting a power-point presentation at Tuesday night's City Council meeting, about the effect of the "drug." "Any ten, twelve, or thirteen year old can purchase it right now," warned Bayuk. "That's what we're attempting to stop with Ordinance No. 2575, at this month's Council Meeting."

"It's known that K-2, although legal, produces a high, when smoked, and many say the potency of the substance is higher than that of marijuana," continued Bayuk. "Is this something that we want being sold in our community? I would think that with that kind of potency and if someone was driving an automobile, there would be a certain potential danger! We're attempting to establish guidelines and protocol for those who are caught using the substance and trying to provide a means of making certain that its use does not produce a threat to the people that we are trying to protect."

The packaging of "K-2" states that it is "Not For Human Consumption" and to be used "For Aromatherapy Use Only." The listed ingredients, on the packaging, reveals a blend of canavalia rosea, clematis vitalba, nelumbo nucifera, and ledum palustre, and that the product was manufactured in Peru.

A little more research revealed that the canavalie rosea is a plant of tropical orgin, some grown in the Pacific Northwest Region of the U.S. and from the legume family. It is a trailing vine, producing a flower, and is commonly called a jack-bean.

The Clematis vitalva is an invasive plant commonly known as a traveler's joy and will grow up to 20 to 50 feet per year. The plant is noted for "taking over" forest areas and becoming so heavy, that it will take down the host trees or shade them so that they are killed. It's a prolific plant that "grows wild!"

 

 

The Nelumbo nucifera is commonly known as a "Chinese Water Lily" and is of the Lotus family. The plant is an aquatic perennial and the seeds of the plant may remain viable for hundreds of years. The seed head, in the center of the flower, is prized, as well as the stalk, that is used as a spice in some Asian food dishes.

The Ledum palustre is a plant closely akin to the Rhodendron and has long been used in making homeopathic remedies, some using the parts of the plant to make a tea, said to relieve vertigo, headaches, and even puncture wounds.

Dr. M. LaVelle Hendricks, a Texas Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and Assistant Professor of Couseling at Texas A&M University-Commerce, is quite familiar with the "drug." "Several years ago, the world was fixated on Y2K, but they need to be fixated on the potential dangers of K-2, today!" warns Dr. Hendricks. "This is a drug of choice, producing highs, maybe even more potent than marijuana, and can be purchased by your ten year old at any place that sells it!"

"K-2 is a combination of herbs and spices, sprayed with a synthetic residue, similar to that of THC (the delta-9 tetrahyrocannabiold found in Marijuana), and is currently legal in the U.S.," continued Hendricks. "It's common names, on the street, are 'skunk,' 'knock-off weed,' 'spice,' genie,' and 'fake weed,' to just name a few. My main concern is that it is readily available for use by teenagers, purchased across the counter at tobacco shops, health food stores, and on the internet!"

Laws dealing with the use of the substance have already been enacted in Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas, with other Midwestern states looking at restricting its sale. Recently the city of Mansfield, Texas, has addressed the problem and other cities in the state are looking at doing something about its sale and use.

"We know of at least two places that are selling the substance in Sulphur Springs," stated Chief Bayuk. "And, there are others, I'm quite sure, in the county or just across the county line! It's still legal to sell it and when you have something that is in demand, there's always someone available to sell it!"

"I'm concerned that teenagers are combining their monies, purchasing K-2 for $20-35.00, and getting a high on the weekend, and it is perfectly legal," expressed Dr. Hendricks. "Researchers are concerned that the substance moves quickly through your body from the lungs to the bloodstream, where it is carried to other parts of the body, resulting in increased agitation, seizures, elevated heart rate, and vomiting."

"We really don't know what all it can do," expressed Dr. Hendricks. "Not enough research has been done to know about the short-term or long-term effects of useage, so anyone would be foolish to risk their health and potential impairment of judgement, to use the substance. With its hallucinogenic potentials, it's an accident waiting to happen to use the substance and get behind the wheel of a car!"

"You can see why we're concerned," stated Bayuk. "We currently don't know how wide-spread the use of the substance is in Hopkins County, but we need some means of regulating its use and want to let the public know of the dangers involved with its useage. That's what we'll be presenting to the City Council, on Tuesday night!"

Ironically, a report was issued today, of an eighteen year old Iowa teenager committing suicide, after allegedly smoking K-2 and "freaking out!"

Please caution your children and teenagers about the potential dangers of smoking or inhaling K-2!

 

 

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