City approves ordinance on synthetic marijuana

West Chicago, Illinois: December 6, 2011 – The West Chicago City Council approved a new local ordinance on Monday, Dec. 5, 2011 that addresses the legality of smokable herbal blends. It is now against City ordinance for anyone to sell, offer to sell or deliver, possess or use any synthetic marijuana product.

Smokable herbal blends are becoming more and more popular, particularly with teens and young adults. These "legal" products are labeled as incense in an attempt to hide their true purpose. Such products as "Spice", "K2", "Blaze", "Red X Dawn", among others, are a synthetic marijuana and actually provide a marijuana-like high. They consist of a plant material coated in chemicals that act similar to THC which is the active ingredient found in marijuana. The chemicals used have not been approved by the FDA for human consumption but yet they are being smoked by teens and young adults across the nation. These products can be bought at a wide variety of retail stores, even some located in West Chicago.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has reported that teens and young adults using these products have overdosed and in some extreme cases, even died as a result of consumption. Like other communities, West Chicago has seen an increase in teen use of these herbal blends.

States, including Illinois, have implemented laws that make the chemicals used in the products illegal but manufacturers have responded by changing the chemical composition of the products to make them "legal" again. Through this newly approved ordinance, the City of West Chicago is taking action against these products.