Possession of five chemicals used to make synthetic marijuana, also known as fake pot have been made illegal by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The chemicals are JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, CP-47,497, and cannabicyclohexanol. The DEA has used its scheduling authority to control the chemicals for at least one year while authorities decide whether the ban should be permanent.

The DEA informs that so-called “legal” smokable herb blends have appeared on the market. They give the user a marijuana-like high. They appear to have become popular among several age groups, especially young adults and teenagers. They are not natural products.

Natural plant material is coated with these chemicals, which mimic marijuana’s active ingredient, THC, or Tetrahydrocannabinol, a compound C 21 H 30 O 2 obtained from marijuana and is its primary intoxicant (can also be made synthetically).

The chemically coated plants are sold in head shops, online and a range of retail outlets, the DEA informs. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has not approved any of the substances for human consumption. There is no supervision or regularization of the manufacturing process either. Some of them are labeled as incense to mask their intended purpose, examples of names include Spice, K2, and Red X Dawn.

The public has been alerted to the DEA’s action after a Notice of Intent of Temporarily Control was published in the Federal Register. Within 30 days a Final Rule to Temporarily Control these substances for no less than 12 months will be published in the Federal Register. There is a good probability of a subsequent six-month extension, the DEA added.

The five chemicals will be classed as Schedule 1 substances, i.e. they will be seen as unsafe and highly abused substances with no medical benefits or usage.

Over the last year, poison centers, hospitals and the police have been reporting an increasing number of cases to the DEA regarding these substances.

Fifteen states around the country have starting taking measures of their own.

Michele M. Leonhart, DEA Acting Administrator, said:

“The American public looks to the DEA to protect its children and communities from those who would exploit them for their own gain. Makers of these harmful products mislead their customers into thinking that ‘fake pot’ is a harmless alternative to illegal drugs, but that is not the case. Today’s action will call further attention to the risks of ingesting unknown compounds and will hopefully take away any incentive to try these products.”

Source: DEA

Written by Christian Nordqvist