Kansas Politician Pledges a Fight against Legal Synthetic Marijuana Blends

Marijuana smokers in Kansas are getting around drug tests by using a synthetic version of marijuana, called K2.

K2, which is sold online and in ‘head’ shops, is thought to contain synthetic cannibanoids. A three gram package retails for about $20 and it produces a high that is similar to a marijuana high.

As a new substance, it remains unregulated and thus legal for sale and consumption, and since drug tests do not screen for it, it cannot be detected in conventional testing.

But that may all change in the near future.

Kansas State representative, Peggy Mast says she is researching the drug now with an aim to introducing legislation to criminalize the drug in the upcoming legislative session. Mast summed up her concerns, saying, “We don't know where it's coming from, there's no quality control on this product. We don't know, the people who are selling it, what they're cutting it with, we don't the dangers are kids are taking by experimenting with it."

Mast has previously led effort to criminalize the hallucinogenic drug, salvia.