Real Thing or Not, Possession of ‘Fake Pot’ is Now a Crime

Illegal incense? Yes, it does exist, according to a decision that the DEA made last week. The herbal incense has been sold in smoke shops under different names, such as K2, Spice and Blaze. Safety advocates and anti-drug groups, however, caught on to the incense’s other, less obvious use, which is how the product earned its more well-known name, “fake pot.”

According to sources, some consumers who’ve been using the product have been smoking it as though it were real marijuana. Its chemical makeup reportedly produces the same type of high as the illegal drug, and because the incense has been legal to buy and sell, the product has been quite successful in the market.

But at least for one year, the incense is banned from the shelves, and if someone is caught with it in his or her possession, they will be treated as though they were busted with carrying actual marijuana. That drug charge could put an offender in prison, depending on his or her specific situation and background.

The DEA has decided to presently outlaw the herbal incense because they believe it is hazardous for consumers’ health. Sources claim that poison control centers around the country have been receiving calls from people reporting adverse physical reactions to the incense after having smoked it.

Until the DEA can more thoroughly investigate the potential danger the chemical product poses to users and its similarity to marijuana – an illegal, controlled substance – distribution and use of the “fake pot” will be taken seriously by the criminal justice system. We will post an update when news related to this product develops.

Source

Denverpost.com: “DEA bans ‘fake pot’ incense as youths using it to get high,” John Ingold, 25 Nov. 2010