PORTLAND -- The Oregon Board of Pharmacy banned the sale of synthetic cannabis Friday.
Also called “K2” or “Spice,” synthetic cannabis was sold in smoke shops around Oregon. The substance is marketed as incense and the label says it's “not intended for human consumption.”
Many people smoked it, reporting an intense high. In August, a 16-year-old Salem boy was rushed to the emergency room after smoking synthetic cannabis. His mother then pushed state lawmakers to do something about the fast growing problem.
After researching the substance, the pharmacy board voted to join eight other states in banning the sale of synthetic cannabis.
“This is huge,” said Oregon Partnership’s Tom Parker. “It’s a great win for Oregonians. We almost never get a chance to get out ahead of an emerging drug problem, and that’s what's happened here.”
“Last year poison control centers nationwide had 13 reports of K2 or Spice poisonings,” Parker added. “In the first six months of this year they had 766 reports.”
Selling or smoking synthetic cannabis became illegal, effective immediately, after Friday’s decision.
