Washtenaw County Considers Plan To Ban K2
ANN ARBOR (WWJ/AP) - As many local communities are cracking down on the sale of synthetic marijuana and other designer drugs, Washtenaw County officials are talking about what approach they will take on the issue.
There has been a wave of activity this week aimed at eliminating products known as "K2" or "Spice." It's a mix of dried herbs and spices sprayed with chemicals and smoked by users.
County administrator Verna McDaniel said they need to stay on top of the issue.
"It's just dangerous and parents are emailing me and asking me what are we going to do. And they are very, very concerned and I don't blame them," McDaniel said.
She said she'd like to put a plan for the county in place, even as a packages of bills is making its way through the Michigan legislature that would ban the products statewide.
"We think that our merchants will cooperate and work with us and be very proactive . That's one thing we want to look into so that they proactively pull it from their shelves," McDaniel said.
McDaniel planned to meet with the county prosecutor and sheriff Wednesday afternoon to discuss what approach they'd like to take at Wednesday evening's board of commissioners meeting.
Meantime, at the state Capitol, two bills are up for votes Wednesday in the House although final passage will require additional action.
On Tuesday, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing issued an executive order banning the sale of K2 in the city.
In Clarkston, in Oakland County, parents asked store owners to take a pledge against the product. Also, the recent death of an 18-year-old Oakland County man is linked to synthetic marijuana.
Ryan Y. of Bloomfield Hills has posted a petition to ban these types of products on the White House official website.
RELATED: K2 Bust Quickly Follows Ban In Roseville
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