Proponents of this new marijuana alternative sold in at least one metro store said it's no worse than alcohol or tobacco. But Peggy Mast, Republican Representative from Emporia, Kan., said it's dangerous, and until more is known about K-2, it should be illegal.
Inside the Sacred Journey store in Lawrence, Kan., and among the herbal products you'll find K-2, the marijuana alternative. It costs about $15-75 a bag depending on size and varieties such as Standard, Citron, and Blonde. And the store isn't hesitant about what it does.
"A lot [of people] get a marijuana-like buzz when you smoke it, and that seems to be why a lot of people are afraid of it and attack it," said Rob Bussinger, a consultant at Sacred Journey.
Often mixed with common herbs, K-2 is a substance made of synthetic chemicals that mimic the effects of marijuana. What makes K-2 legal is that tests show the herb is missing the active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). But there are a lot of unknowns about K-2 and possible long term effects, if any.
"And that makes it potentially dangerous," said Mast. "I'm really concerned about the effect it can have on young people."
Mast is basing her conclusions on reports from the Johnson County Sheriff's Department about seeing K-2 in high schools, and Mast sees it potentially as a gateway drug. But Bussinger with the Sacred Journey said store clerks don't sell K-2 to anyone under 18, like tobacco. And unlike tobacco and alcohol, he points to statistics showing marijuana is much less harmful, and say it's a responsible, legal way to unwind.
"We have teachers that come in and buy it, we have police officers that come in and buy it, military people who buy it," said Bussinger.
Despite the known effects of alcohol and tobacco, it's the unknown about K-2 that's causing one lawmaker to look into shelving it.
"I don't think the public should have ready access to anything that has not been studied," Mast said.
Mast says she's still learning about K-2 while looking into sponsoring a bill to ban it in Kansas. There's little to no information on who manufactures K-2, or where it comes from. It started showing up in the metro in just the last few months.
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