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Emergency Order Outlaws More ‘Spice’ Synthetic Drugs In Florida
December 12, 2012
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi filed an emergency rule on Tuesday outlawing 22 new synthetic drugs, commonly called “bath salts,” “K-2″ or “Spice.” She said they can cause psychotic episodes, seizures, hallucinations and paranoia.
The emergency order makes it a third-degree felony to sell or manufacture such drugs, and Bondi made it clear the authorities will be watching shopkeepers who ignore the order.
“(If) you’re selling this stuff and you know it’s illegal, you take it off your shelves when you see police officers and you put it back on, we’re coming after you,” she said. “And we will do everything in our power to put you out of business, because you’re no better than a common, street-level drug dealer.”
“We will continue to arrest those responsible for this type of activity. As with all illegal narcotics, they have no place in this county. We will continue to do our very best in hunting down any establishment that disregards the laws that are in place to keep our community safe and drug free,” Santa Rosa County Sheriff Wendell Hall said after the AG’s order was issued.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey said the drugs are available in smoke shops, truck stops, convenience stores and through the Internet. He said retailers who stock them have two options: to surrender their inventory or face enforcement action.
Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen warned of the tragedies synthetic drugs can cause. “Unless you’ve been there and covered a body with a sheet that just jumped off the 14th floor of a condominium because he just went into the Junior store next door and bought some of this and ingested it, it’s hard to understand why we fight, and why we do what we do.”
Bondi was especially irate that synthetic drugs are often packaged with cartoon characters and brand names designed to appeal to middle school students. “These are marketed to children,” she said, holding up samples from a display. “Batman. The Joker. These are disgusting.” She vowed to work with the 2013 Legislature to ban the 22 drugs permanently.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office plans to hand out letters to local establishments that continue to sell “Spice”, informing them of the added illegal components — all while continuing to make undercover buys and arresting those found to be selling anything with the added components.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
25 Responses to “Emergency Order Outlaws More ‘Spice’ Synthetic Drugs In Florida”
Has anyone heard the saying “To much of a good thing is bad” this goes for anything you can eat too much beef and die drink a gallon of water in one sitting and your kidneys will shut down. So does that mean we need to outlaw drinking water or eating beef?
people in America have no clue what they are talking they take all the low life pot heads and put them in the same category as anyone who smokes pot. I smoke marijuana everyday, and go to work everyday, and i am the top worker at my job making 22 dollars an hr. So know what your talking about before you say all marijuana smoker are low lives.
Why is the state Att. General making laws???
this is a job for our elected reps, state senators, and the govorner.
I do not agree with this woman making laws. this is not how the state is set up, this allows her to bypass the people in place and violates the checks and balances of government.
If you allow pot or anything to become the primary focus and obsession in your life, yes you will have problems. Life is multifacted and requires focus in multiple areas.
You get up, floss/brush, shave/shower and dress, you then go take care of business. When the evening rolls around ,you sit back and relax, after your workday is done.
If all you do 24/7 is smoke pot, drink or whatever, everything else will suffer. Lives have to be balanced with work, play and rest. Thats how I live mine anyway.
they needed to do this all along and one of my friends colest friends died of it earlyer this week the sooner it is gone the beater so get it off the shelvs and lock up the ones that dont
@Ms Carnley, I as a fellow observer of those around me, suspect that the majority of people whose lives were wrecked by pot, had additional problems and factors other than just pot smoking and were on their way down to begin with.
I think what really exasperates the problem with pot, is when you use other drugs, such as ecstasy and cocaine in conjunction with it and then get into situations of the unconventional sorts, wouldn’t you agree Deborah.
Most of the problems I see with pot is underage use, arcahic laws and people who smoke when they are not off duty and on their private property. Just as with alcohol or any other drug.
Sooooooo, if a certain store in “Cottage Hill is selling this stuff “spice” that he keeps “under” the shelves……you mean this is NOT legal?? mmmmmmmI know someone who might be introuble, MOLINO too
I don’t know why it is still legal to purchase ciggarettes and alcohol either, its HARMFULL and all causes DEADLY side effects, eats up the insurance companys with health probs and cost and kills people and others have to smell and breathe other peoples ciggs, it is not fair, tobacco, alcohol, spice, all of it ! I also can’t believe someone would post that marijuanna is not harfull !!! Ummm, yes it is, it fry’es your brain and DESTROYS LIVES, I am talking it ruins your family, your job, everything !!!!! Makes me SICK !
Every drug is a danger to those who misuse them. Nicotene, marihuana,and certainly spice! All those who think that marihuana is safe please rethink this.
The quantity is what brings a lot of damage. Yes a person who is terminally ill and dying may find some relief from prescription marihuana but there are still side effects which are dangerous.
This drug “spice” is becoming a big problem in escambia county and other states.
I am grateful for someone to step up and address this issue.
Thank You….
Its funny really, marijuana is completely natural and not harmful yet its against the law. So, then people use these synthetic stuff and go crazy and all sorts of terrible things.
When the reality is if they would just legalise marijuana like so many other states are starting to do, people wouldn’t use this as much. I’m positive if marijuana was legal most people would not buy “spice”
This stuff is bad. It gets into the prison system and the inmates who use it freak out and hurt staff and other inmates. I’ve personally been involved in pulling a few of these freaked out individuals off of innocent staff and other inmates while at work. It’s dangerous and needs to be outlawed and made very difficult to get!
Saw on Channel 3 news tonight that Sheriff Ashley in Okaloosa County has sent letters to all the business’ selling this SPICE, letting them know that they need to turn this Spice crap in or be subject to confiscation and possible arrest.
Why hasn’t Sheriff Morgan taken similiar actions?
Personally in my opinion, the stuff is now illegal, time to raid everyone of the business’ selling this crap and arrest everyone involved.
Let the courts figure out who is guilty and who is not.
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Seriously Sheriff Morgan…. What are you doing to fix this?
So she just makes up laws as she goes along? This isn’t the correct division of powers!
aman take it out and keep it out I AM LOVIN IT.
i myself saw what that mess can do 2 everyone that have use tryed some of all kinds of the stuff and none of it is no good 4 no1 its makes people act up really stickley superman wonderwoman ect.who put this in the stores stop that and u will done sometime 4everyone that buy tiis killer.
WAIT!! Let’s not stop there, we need an EMERGENCY ORDER to ban all forms of ALCOHOL and TOBACCO!!
There are medical studies that PROVE these “drugs” are harmful, destroy lives, etc!! Look how many deaths are attributed to cigarettes alone! Look up the facts on alcohol deaths!
Why are these still allowed to be out there destroying lives??
How about making all of it illegal, not just some brands, all brands!
They make it all illegal and if the store is cault selling any of it have them arrested!
All these drugs you people are talking about will kill you, cause younto kill someone else or cause some type of brain cell death. Stop these items from use. But I guess if you bottled the stuff that comes out of the paper mill that would be legal!!!!!!!!!!
I hope they actually stick to their word this stuff is killing adults and children
escambia county is really bad for sale under the counter. every store owner should be in jail. and close the store for 90 days . hit them were it hurts. save are kids from these people.
@Really. I guess all constructions workers are potheads. I have seen some that drink alcohol and use tobacco too. What about doctors and lawyers, preachers and teachers?
What you do in your own time, on your own dime is your business Really. When you come to work, be prepared to do your job or hit the road Jack! Regardless of your profession.
Great Job Ms. Bondi and the sate of Florida.
Legalize marijuana. Come on. All I hear is that it mellows you out and your not the ones robbing and killing people. Here you go. It does mellow you out and most job related injuries on the construction field are potheads!!! Not paying attention caused they are mellowed out. So yes lets make the world a better place and legalize this stuff!!!!
I have epilepsy a bad form of it I use to do drugs and quit due to probation and a couple months ago I tried this stuff since i already had epilepsy, I know for a fact this stuff is bad I tried it to see if it was because of the drug use that i done that was causing my seizures when I had quit but this stuff never INDUCED a seizure just every time I done it I would not sieze up but a person with Epilepsy I control myselve but I could tell it was messing with my nerves.IT NEEDS TO BE OFF THE SHELVES.,
Good deal, get this trash out of the stores. I’ve seen this mess personally destroy families. This is what have been reduced too, people ingesting these chemicals to get high. Just legalize marijuana already… you don’t hear about the local pothead robbing stores and killing people for more pot.
A wonderful effort on Ms. Bondi’s part.
Hopefully state legislation such as recently passed in Colorado and Washington state, will eliminate the market for this synthetic poison.