Pubdate: Mon, 14 Jun 2010
Source: Pacific Daily News (US GU)
Copyright: 2010 Pacific Daily News
Contact: http://www.guampdn.com/customerservice/contactus.html
Website: http://www.guampdn.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1122
Author: Brett Kelman

BILL AIMS TO PROHIBIT POTENT SUBSTANCES

A public hearing will be held Wednesday on proposed legislation that 
could pull two potent but legal substances from local stores, 
following a prohibition trend that is sweeping legislatures nationwide.

If passed, Bill 396 would outlaw salvia divinorum and the chemicals 
that create "Spice" both which can be bought in Tumon stores. At 
least three adult entertainment stores had salvia for sale on 
Saturday and one had previously sold "spice" but was sold out.

Store owners declined to be interviewed about either substances.

Sen. Frank Blas Jr., who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Adolpho 
Palacios, said Friday that these substances mimic the potentially 
harmful effects of some illegal drugs. Both Blas and Palacios are 
former police officers.

Blas, who also served as Gov. Felix Camacho's Homeland Security 
adviser, said illegal drugs often evolve into new forms, which are 
sometimes different enough from their original source to be legal 
again, until someone makes them illegal, restarting the cycle.

Lawmakers can't fall far behind the trends, especially since the use 
of these new drugs is already growing, he said.

"As soon as the word spread about the proposed legislation, I've been 
receiving calls from people thanking me for starting to deal with 
it," Blas said.  "Because the kids already know about it. You've got 
to stay on top of this stuff."

Lawmakers on Guam are tackling both drugs with one bill, but salvia 
and "spice" are very different.

Salvia

Salvia divinorum, which is often called just salvia, is an herb that 
creates vivid but brief hallucinations, according to the Drug 
Enforcement Administration website.

The federal government has placed no restriction on the substance, 
but is still studying its effects. Powerful hallucinations pose an 
obvious danger, but longer term side effects are unclear, the DEA 
website states.

Blas said he believes the federal agency will eventually ban the 
substance, and if his Bill 396 becomes law before then, Guam will 
just be ahead of the curve.

But not that far ahead.

At least 21 states have already passed laws to regulate salvia, and 
restrictions run the gamut from forbidding sale to minors to outright 
bans, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures website.

These laws have sprung up since 2006, after parents and critics 
credited the drug with the suicide of a 17-year-old user in Delaware.

Brett Chidester's suicide note described revelations that echoed 
descriptions of the drug's effects on salvia websites, according to a 
USA Today article.  Chidester had recently bought the drug online, 
the article states.

Despite this, the drug is still readily available on Guam. Salvia 
could be bought easily at three stores in Tumon on Saturday.

Prices range from $20 to $50, depending on strength.  One $50 package 
that promised to set the standards for potency also warned that the 
drug was "very, very powerful," and should not be sold to minors.

Bill 396 would make it illegal to possess any part of a salvia plant, 
including seeds or extracts.

'Spice'

Another legal substance sometimes called "Spice" is neither as common 
as salvia, nor as regulated.

This is one brand name of a variety of drug products, which mimic the 
effects of marijuana using a synthetic chemical sprayed on a plant. 
The drug is also sometimes called K2, according to USA Today.

Blas said some studies suggest this artificial replicate can be even 
more powerful than actual marijuana.

If passed, Bill 396 would outlaw three of the chemicals that can be 
used to make "Spice" -- HU-210, JWH-018 and JWH-073. The first of 
these chemicals is listed as a controlled substance on the DEA 
website, and the other two are not, although all are considered 
"drugs of concern."

And local lawmakers would not be the first to outlaw this substance.

According to a USA Today article published this month, Kansas banned 
the drug March 10. Kentucky followed April 13. And Alabama's ban 
takes effect July 1.

Lawmakers in Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee have passed regulations 
and at least five other states are considering similar bills. There 
are two other synthetics chemicals the DEA states can be used to make 
"Spice" that aren't included in Bill 396.

[sidebar]

WHAT IS "SPICE?"

"Spice" is one of the names for a variety of products that apply 
synthetic chemicals to plant life to create legal drug that mimics 
the effects of marijuana.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, these chemicals -- 
HU-219, JWH-018 and JWH-073 -- are more common in European countries 
but have more recently been found in drug mixtures in Ohio and 
Florida. "Spice" is not regulated in the United States, but is a 
"drug of concern," the DEA website states.

Laws on "Spice"

Restrictions on spice have recently been passed in some mainland 
states and more are pending in other states, according to an USA 
TODAY article published in May. The drug is sometimes known as K2.

ABOUT THE BILL

Bill 396 would make Salvia divinorum and the three chemicals that 
create the drug "Spice" illegal. Both of these legal drugs can 
currently be bought in local stores, but both mimic the effects of 
illegal drugs.

IF YOU GO

What: Public hearing on Bill 396

Where: Legislature public hearing room

When: Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.

WHAT IS SALVIA?

Salvia divinorum or Salvinorum A is a perennial herb native to parts 
of Mexico which has hallucinogenic effects when consumed, smoked or 
drank through tea.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, street names 
include Maria Pastora, Sage of the Seers, Diviner's Sage, Sally-D, 
and Magic Mint. The drug is still being studied by the DEA, who have 
not placed any restrictions on it to date, but note that 
hallucinations can be dangerous.

Laws on Salvia

According to the National Conference on State Legislatures, about 21 
states have passed laws restricting salvia.

States like California and Maine have made it illegal to sell salvia 
to a minor, but still legal for adults. In Maryland you can use it if 
you are 21 or older.

States like Minnesota, Tennessee and West Virginia have made 
possession or sale of salvia a misdemeanor.

States like Nebraska, Ohio and Oklahoma have listed salvia as a 
schedule 1 substance, which means it can lead to similar charges as marijuana. 
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