Best Company To Buy Herbal Incense, Salvia & Glass Pipes

Having one of the largest Herbal Incense review sites on the net, we get hundreds of emails and blog comments from our large readership asking us the best places to buy spice products online.  We know that it can be a scary process when shopping online for these types of products.  That’s the main reason we started this website over a year ago.

We wanted to insure that everyone found the best herbal incense blends on the market.  We wanted to also let people know of the best places to buy spice and herbal incense related products online.  We make sure all our readers and loyal fan base know the best sources to buy from and what to buy.

Now we have done a ton of research and found the best supplier online for herbal incense spice and glass pipes.  After making a large purchase from them, searching the internet to insure they are a top supplier and everyone has been happy with there orders and got there shipments on time.

We are here to report one heck of a great review for JONS SMOKE SHOP.

What we did was place a order of several products to sample several of them.  Later in the week we will be placing reviews online for each product to let you know more details about what are favorites were.  Just to give you a sneak peek, they were all amazing.  First we placed our order online last week later in the day.  In 2 days flat we got our order in the mail.  Everything was there to a T that we ordered and the packaging on all spice orders were sealed and the packaging was top of the line.

 

Being over excited was the first thing that came to my mind when i opened the box and got my first glance at all the pretty little packages.  This was my first time tying several of these herbal smoking blends.  As always you never know what to expect in this industry.  Lets face it pretty packaging is not the reason we buy the product.  We just wind up throwing away the packages in the first place.   It’s what in side that really matters.

At the same time, that flashy packaging sealed up is a great touch.  It lets us know that we are getting a quality product and that the company takes pride in there herbal incense and spice products.  So i want to give everyone a list of what we purchased last week and the product reviews that will be coming in the next few days in full detail.

Here is the list of Aromatherapy Herbal Incense Spice Potpourri We Ordered For Our Product Reviews & Company Review

Zero Chem Spice 3 Gram Bag

$19.99 before discount / Best part is the FREE Shipping!   Learn More Here

Information about zero chem spice- Source Jons Smoke Shop.  Zero Chem is 3 grams of the most potent and effective chemical free herbal smoke blend we have for sale! It was developed with organic herbs and plant extracts that consists of 7 different herbs which are extracted over 20 times. Our unique herbal extraction process uses; California Poppy, Passion Flower, Wild Lettuce, and other natural exotic herbs. Zero Chem is a great natural smoking blend and promotes euphoric relaxation for 2 to 3 hours! Zero Chem is legal in all 50 states! No chemicals or synthetic compounds are added to this product. This product does not contain tobacco and will not show up on drug test.

Bali Diesel Smoke

$19.50 before discount / Best part is the FREE Shipping!   Learn More Here

Information about bali diesel smoke herbal incense – Source Jons Smoke Shop.  Is a resonated herbal smoking blend, that combines natural plant material for a safer and more effective experience.  Bali Diesel is legal in all 50 states, with a somewhat robust flavor, the effects commonly associated with use are: Extreme relaxation, mild head buzz, floating sense of joy, and occasional fits of laughter.

Exotic Recreational Blend

$15.99 before discount / Best part is the FREE Shipping!   Learn More Here

Information about exotic recreational blend potpourri – Source Jons Smoke Shop.  Is a 100% All Natural smoke blend, perfect for anyone looking to unwind from daily stress. This product, when burned, will leave its users feeling blissfully relaxed and free from worry. Effects most commonly related to use of this product, are, a sense of well being, mild light perception alteration and a state of pleasant passiveness.

We also bought a MUST HAVE Herb Grinder!

$24.99 before discount / Best part is the FREE Shipping!   Learn More Here

This is the best size herb grinder on the market.  The other one i have used for the longest time was to big to carry around with me.  This new one that i bought from jons smoke shop is top of the line.  This is a must have herb grinder.  The quality of it is amazing and the size is perfect for me.  This is one of the items you buy and then think to your self “How the hell did i live with out it?”  Really its worth every dime.  The quality of the screen inside the unit is just perfect and built of high quality.  I know that this herb grinder will hold up for years to come.  My only surprise was how affordable a grinder of this quality really was.  My other one i have had for years and its not half as awesome as this one.

 

Now quick update of what is to come on the herbal incense blends we got and tired.  First they did the job and then some.  We are now happy customers for life of jons smoke shop.  What a pleasure to know there is still companies operating in the herbal incense industry that still sell quality products of spice with out changing an arm and a leg.  There product is priced perfect and some of the best i have ever had.  Look for our in-depth reviews about each one of the 3 herbal incense products we got.  We are so pleased with this product and company we just cant wait to let everyone know that there top of the line.

Also right now there running a huge sale for 10% off your order with FREE Shipping.  All you have to do is click this link, then enter this code to save 10% on your order today. CODE = “ZOMBIES”  its really that simple.  Now all of our readers know that we only promote the best blends and the most reputable herbal incense companies!  So head over to Jons Smoke Shop and buy your blends today and drop us a comment and share your experience with us today!

 

Ban on ‘Spice’ and ‘Bath Salts’ extended in Yavapai County pending trial

CAMP VERDE — Late Monday, Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Michael Bluff extended the ban on the Yavapai County sale of “novelty powders” and other synthetics called “spice” and “bath salts” by known retailers.

In a 14-page ruling, Judge Bluff affirmed a permanent injunction against nine of the 12 retail shops named in the complaint filed by Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk. The judge further issued a preliminary injunction against the remaining three known retailers: Wes Lance Trading Company, Steve Ogden and the Island Store.

Retailers in Prescott that have been banned from selling the novelty powders are Prescott Quick Stop, Mike’s Mini Mart, and The Island Store. Shops in Cottonwood banned from the sale of these drugs are Hawaiian Honey Swimwear and Pipe Dreamz Smoke Shop. Shops in Prescott Valley that are banned are X-Hale Smoke Shop, Mario’s PV Quick Stop, the Hobby Glass, Smoke N’ Thingz, Mike’s Connection and Texaco on Highway 69. Wes Lance Trading Company in Camp Verde has also been banned.

“What is so important is that parents and their children, as well as all community members, understand how dangerous and life-threatening these synthetic drugs are,” said Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk. “I knew this stuff was horrible when we started the trial, yet I was still overwhelmed with the testimony recounting the violence and self-destruction, and how these drugs are effecting everyone across the county.”

This ruling comes after three days of Superior Court testimony in late August. Among his findings, Judge Bluff wrote that novelty powder drugs are synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones that have effects similar to marijuana and methamphetamine, but more intense, unpredictable, dangerous and addictive. The judge further found that the novelty powders are packaged to mimic the appearance and names of recreational illegal drugs, and despite the warnings on the packages that they are “not for human consumption,” they are sold solely for human consumption.

The street names include: Go Fast, K2, Spice, Sprinklezz, Incense, Potpourri, Herbal Sachets, Glass Cleaner, Felt Cleaner, Go Fast Carpet Cleaner, Exuberance Powder, Tickle Talc, Bath Salts, Smokin’ Dragon, Mr. Nice Guy, Fear and Loathing, Diablo, Amped, G6, Eight Ballz, White Lightening, Crazy Train, Hashish 6X, Token Monkey, Black Gold 20X, Legal Devil, Funky Green Stuff, and Bliss.

In issuing the injunctions, the judge found that evidence at the hearing showed that the novelty powders cause serious physical and mental harm to the users, including dangerous increases in metabolic rates resulting in dangerous hyperthermia (overheating), increased heart rate, stroke, cardiovascular collapse, seizures, and death.

The judge found that users often suffer from delusions and hallucinations, exhibiting signs of severe psychosis, paranoia and anxiety, and that users will often suffer long-term effects from the drugs such as psychosis, depression, insomnia, suicide ideation and self-mutilation.

The judge observed that users under the influence of synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones will often engage in aggressive acts of violence against medical and law enforcement personnel trying to assist them, and innocent bystanders; and that synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones may be even more addictive than marijuana or methamphetamine.

The judge found that the evidence from the hearing shows that novelty powders are having a serious and negative impact on emergency medical services in Yavapai County and that the emergency medical professionals of the community report a dramatic increase over the last eighteen months in patients needing emergency medical treatment.

Among his findings, the judge noted: the evidence shows that the patients are often physically injured due to acts of self-harm, and that they are violently combative; that as many as 20 patients a week are presenting at Yavapai County’s three emergency rooms for treatment due to ingestion; that patients under the influence of novelty powders are violently combative, “out of their minds,” and that violent attacks on paramedics, doctors and nurses are common with such patients; that it is frequently necessary for hospital personnel to physically restrain, sedate, and intubate patients in order to treat the patient and eliminate danger to hospital personnel; and that these patients represent a serious drain of hospital and community resources available for medical emergencies.

The judge found there is a strong likelihood Yavapai County will prevail on the merits, and ruled that the sale of novelty powders presents a likelihood of irreparable injury to the people of Yavapai County. The judge declared that public policy favors the ban.

A copy of the Preliminary and Permanent Injunctions, as well as all the pleadings and affidavits, can be found at the Yavapai County Attorney’s website at http://www.yavapai.us/coatty/press-releases/court-pleadings-bath-salt-ban/.

The Yavapai County Attorney’s Office asks that community members with information about anyone selling synthetic drugs in Yavapai County contact the office at (928) 771-3344 and ask to speak with Maggie.

Troubleshooter: Cops can’t stop store from selling spice

CLARKSVILLE, IN (WAVE) – A dangerous drug is being sold right out in the open right in the heart of Kentuckiana. The WAVE 3 Troubleshooter Department went undercover to expose how one local business is getting away with it and why police have not been able to stop it.

Business is booming at one of southern Indiana’s hottest new locations, but no one wants to talk about what is on the menu.

Police said what they are buying inside Monroe’s in Clarksville is synthetic marijuana. Its street name is spice. Spice is a shredded, dried plant sprayed with chemicals that produces a mind altering high.

The National Institute of Drug Abuse said people who smoke spice often feel psychotic effects. The effects include extreme anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations that have been linked to illness and death.

Spice is illegal in Indiana, but Troubleshooter Eric Flack discovered it is being sold right out in the open at Monroe’s. Hidden camera video caught a seemingly revolving door as streams of customers come and go. Parents and professionals. Young and old.

“I’ve seen it busier than Kroger right next door,” said Cpl. Tony Lehman of the Clarksville Police Department.

A WAVE 3 Troubleshooter producer went in undercover with a hidden camera to get a look at what was going on inside. The video shows there is nothing in the store but a pool table, a coke machine, a display case of glass pipes, and a man behind a counter who chose his words carefully.

“What you trying to get?” the man asked our undercover producer. She told him she was looking for spice.

“We don’t sell spice baby,” he said. “We got some incense.”

Although he referred to what he was selling as incense, his intent seemed clear when we asked him about the range of prices.

“Depends on how strong you want your incense,” the man told our undercover producer.

The undercover producer ended up buying something called Triple-X. It cost about $10 and was labeled “not for human consumption”, but it looked exactly like the synthetic marijuana linked to all those dangerous side effects.

The guy who gave our producer the Triple-X would not come out and talk to Troubleshooter Eric Flack when he returned to Monroe’s to get an explanation about what they were selling.

“Cut that (expletive) camera off man,” he said.

The Clarksville Police Department has been investigating the store for months but thus far have been unable to make any arrests.

“It’s extremely frustrating,” Cpl. Lehman said. “It’s just horrible for the community, it’s horrible for the kids and people who smoke this stuff, and its so frustrating that we can’t do anything about it.”

The Troubleshooter Department discovered the reason police can not do anything about it. Technology used by Indiana State Police can not keep up with the problem.

State Representative Milo Smith, who wrote Indiana’s spice law, said ISP’s lab equipment is not advanced enough to identify the newer, altered compounds of synthetic marijuana, which can be just a few molecules different from the original. Police said they can not press charges until tests confirm the presence of those banned chemical compounds.

Representative Smith said state police have not given up. He said ISP is now searching for private labs with equipment capable of proving what is being sold at Monroe’s is illegal so they can stop it from being sold on the open market.

In the midst of the Troubleshooter investigation, Monroe’s was the scene of a violent confrontation with a man who allegedly tried to break into the store and steal the synthetic marijuana.

Kevin Martin is now facing a list of charges that includes resisting arrest and burglary after he fought with officers who caught him trying to rob Monroe’s. Witnesses saw Martin throw a rock through the front door and called police. When officers arrived they said Martin fought with them and tried to escape before he was finally handcuffed and taken into custody.

The Indiana Attorney General’s office is aware of growing spice problem in the area and is trying to step up enforcement and is threatening to seize the assets of businesses caught selling spice if they don not sign an affidavit to stop.

Attention All Readers – You Must Know

All yellow Porsche 997 Turbo

First i would like to thank each and every reader that has made our blog one of the largest if not the largest for herbal incense and bath salt reviews and news. I have had so many emails these past 2 months asking me if you can buy herbal incense products from me. I just dont have time to email every request back that i get and i never want a reader to think that we are not interacting with you.

Here is the facts, we do not in any way shape or form sell herbal incense products. We are simply a resource for information in the herbal incense spice world. We enjoy giving readers information about the herbal incense spice busts and the incense industy reviews on herbal products. I know that the DEA and law enforcement has cracked down hard on several business across the USA over the past 2 months and now herbal incense is much harder to find.

I know this because everyday i get all the news and busts from our large database of resources and news streams. But i want to make it very clear we are only a resource for learning everything there is to know about herbal incense and news. We do not sell, stock, or tell clients where to buy herbal products or bath salts. If a client sends us a sample of there herbal incense products and its a legal product, we will review that product and write a post to edcuate the public on what we feel about that product. Keep in mind everyone has a different opion about herbal products and everything in life.

Here is an example, i have a freind of mine that bought a brand new porsche and its an amazing car. But that car is bright yellow and to me its screams UGLY. Now everyone else might just love yellow porsches, but i cant stand yellow cars. Now if i was to write a review about that bright yellow car i would say what a nice ride but bad choice in the cars color. Lets say i posted a pic it here

Now how many of you think this yellow porsche 997 turbo is amazing? Well when i look at it i just see a yellow BEE.

So my point is that everyone does not agree on everything. Many times when i post about a herbal incense i have tried i do my best to insure that i let people know just how strong there herbal spice is. Well to me – a daily smoker, its not as strong as someone that might only smoke once a month. Thats why i do my best to be honest so that my readers know what there getting before they get it. But thats only my opion. If i here of any great websites selling wholesale herbal incense i will make a post and update you and try to do a mass email on all the requests that i get for it.

But honstly i dont like to tell people where to buy any products, just give you a review of what i tried what my personal opion is of that product and where i got it from.
Hope this helps and as always thanks for all the support from our readers. It really is awesome. We have over 300,000 visits per week and thats truly amazing!

Rudy Eugene’s Toxicology Report: Experts speculate on what caused ‘face-chewing’ attack

CBS/AP) MIAMI – Experts are still speculating about what may have caused Rudy Eugene’s face-chewing attack on Ronald Poppo in Miami last month. A toxicology report on Wednesday failed to find “bath salts” and other major street drugs in Eugene’s system.

Pictures: Fla. police identify “face-eating” naked man

The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner said in a news release that the toxicology detected marijuana but it didn’t find any other street drugs, alcohol or prescription drugs. Eugene also tested negative for adulterants commonly mixed with street drugs.

An expert on toxicology testing said marijuana alone wasn’t likely to cause behavior as strange as Eugene’s.

“The problem today is that there is an almost an infinite number of chemical substances out there that can trigger unusual behavior,” said Dr. Bruce Goldberger, Professor and Director of Toxicology at the University of Florida.

There has been much speculation about what drugs, if any, would lead to the bizarre May 26 attack at a Miami causeway that left Poppo, 65, missing about 75 percent of his face. The tests ruled out the suggestion that 35-year-old Eugene may have been under the influence of bath salts, which mimic the effects of cocaine or methamphetamine and have been associated with bizarre crimes in recent months.

An outside forensic toxicology lab, which took a second look at the results, also confirmed the absence of bath salts, synthetic marijuana and LSD.

Goldberger said the medical examiner’s office in Miami is known for doing thorough work and he’s confident they and the independent lab covered as much ground as possible. But it’s nearly impossible for toxicology testing to keep pace with new formulations of synthetic drugs.

“There are many of these synthetic drugs that we currently don’t have the methodology to test on, and that is not the fault of the toxicology lab. The challenge today for the toxicology lab is to stay on top of these new chemicals and develop methodologies for them but it’s very difficult and very expensive.” Goldberger said. “There is no one test or combination of tests that can detect every possible substance out there.”

An addiction expert said she wouldn’t rule out marijuana causing the agitation.

“It could have been the strain of marijuana that increases the dopamine in the brain, such as sativa,” said Dr. Patricia Junquera, assistant professor at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

There are two strains of marijuana called sativa and indica. The sativa increases dopamine and gives you energy while decreasing pain threshold. Indica is a “sleepy high,” she explained.

“People don’t really know what the amount of either is in each little packet of marijuana,” she explained. “And we can’t differentiate between the two in the blood, much less in a dead person.”

She also suggested that if Eugene had a mental disorder, “the marijuana could have increased even further the dopamine levels and aggravated the situation. So that can’t be ruled out.”

Eugene’s friends and family have said he was religious, not violent and that he didn’t drink or do drugs harder than marijuana, so they are baffled as to what caused Eugene’s brutal assault against the homeless victim.

“There’s no answer for it, not really,” said Marckenson Charles, Eugene’s younger brother. “Anybody who knew him knows this wasn’t the person we knew him to be. Whatever triggered him, there is no answer for this.”

Charles said the family does not plan to pursue any legal action against the police for shooting Eugene on the day of the face-chewing attack. Surveillance video from a nearby building shows Eugene stripping Poppo and pummeling him. The police officer who shot Eugene to death reportedly said Eugene growled at the officer when he told him to stop.

“They used the force they felt was necessary even if we don’t agree with that,” Charles said.

He said Eugene has been buried.

Poppo has undergone several surgeries and remains hospitalized. His left eye was removed, but doctors said earlier this month they were trying to find a way to restore vision in his right eye. He will need more surgeries before he can explore the options for reconstructing his face, doctors have said.

Health Department regulation will make it a violation to buy, sell or possess synthetic drugs like bath salts and fake marijuana

ALBANY — State and local law enforcement would have new power to fight the growing problem of designer drugs and fake pot under a new regulation set to be announced by Gov. Cuomo.
The Health Department regulation, to be unveiled Tuesday, will make it a violation to sell, distribute, or possess synthetic drugs like bath salts and fake pot.
Violators could face up to 15 days in jail, a small fine, or even have their businesses shut down.
“It gives law enforcement a nimble, flexible tool they can take immediate action on,” a Cuomo aide said.
The state will also create a hotline for parents and others to report stores selling the illegal products. And the Health Department will spearhead a web campaign to educate the public about the deadly drugs.
The actions come a month after President Obama signed a law to ban designer drugs and fake pot.
The Cuomo administration order doesn’t hold nearly the same power as the federal law, which carries penalties of up to 20 years in prison — or more if someone dies or is seriously hurt. The federal law also carries fines of up to $5 million for first-time offenders.
Cuomo aides say the state action is similar to going after low-level drug dealers while the feds focus on the kingpins.
“The feds are going to go after the big fish, but it’s not the big fish that are necessarily the problem,” one aide said. “It’s the bodega on the corner. And a U.S. attorney is not going to go after a bodega on the corner.”
The regulation builds on an order Cuomo’s Health Department issued last year banning the sale of the synthetic drugs and allowing for the shutdown of businesses that ignored it.
That order followed an exclusive Daily News investigation revealing the deadly dangers of the designer drug.
But manufacturers responded by simply tweaking the chemical compounds to stay ahead of the authorities.
The new regulation outlaws dozens more chemicals than the previous one and, for the first time, makes it a violation that allows local law enforcement to get involved.
Also, unlike the federal law, someone simply possessing a synthetic drug without the intent to sell it can be charged, a Cuomo aide said.
Synthetic drugs are marketed as imitating the effects of pot, cocaine and LSD. They are often masked as everyday household items like bath salts or potpourri.
But they can cause hallucinations, seizures and suicidal or homicidal thoughts.
Emergency room visits and state Poison Control calls linked to the deadly drugs have been on the rise since 2011, the state Health Department reported.
Sen. Charles Schumer, who sponsored the federal law, called the Cuomo action “another tool at our disposal.”

Pinellas officials considering banning bath salts and some incenses

In their latest salvo in the on-going struggle against synthetic marijuana, Pinellas County officials are seeking to ban the sale of bath salts and certain herbal incense products.

The proposed ordinance is an attempt to close the loophole created when Florida banned more than 90 chemicals used in synthetic marijuana. County officials said that by the time those products were off the shelves, drugmakers had already adapted by concocting new, legal cocktails that are as dangerous as their predecessors.

“What we want to do is make sure that we took the opportunity to close those gaps to ensure those things don’t come growing back,” said Tim Burns, the county’s director of Justice and Consumer Services.

In addition to banning synthetic marijuana, bath salts and kratom — a lesser-known substance that comes from a tropical plant — the ordinance would establish a five-person committee responsible for reviewing new products and possibly banning those as well.

Today, the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners will vote on whether to hold a public hearing on the proposed regulations.

Leo Calzadilla, who owns three tobacco shops in Pinellas County and is planning to open a fourth, said he would protest the ordinance. When state law banned a variety of products, he changed what he sold, he said. But the race to pass new ordinances and outfox manufacturers seems pointless to him, as well as bad for business.

“Herbal incense is sold as herbal incense,” he said. “That’s what it’s intended for. … What people do with it is their prerogative.”

Many of the synthetic marijuana products are labeled “not for consumption,” said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, adding that this was “intellectually dishonest.”

Manufacturers know that teenagers buy their products intending to smoke or ingest them, he said. The drugs can cause extreme euphoria, as well as hallucinations and seizures. And there have been several high-profile instances in which teenagers died or were injured while under the influence of those substances.

Gualtieri said he is distributing letters to store owners, asking them to voluntarily drop the synthetic drugs from their inventories.

Randy Heine, owner of Rockin Cards & Gifts, a tobacco shop in Pinellas Park, said he would not object to banning synthetic marijuana, though this should be done at a state level, he said. But kratom is another matter.

Heine sells kratom leaves for smoking, kratom powder for making tea, and kratomite, a liquid concoction he described as a “relaxer.”

“I’ve been selling it steadily for 30 years without a problem, zero, nada, nothing,” he said. “There’s minimal reports of problems, compared to coffee, aspirin, cigarettes, and nobody has died of this; it’s just hysteria.”

“I’ve got to confess I don’t even know what it is,” Gualtieri said. “It’s not on my radar.”

But Burns maintained that kratom is an emerging product, one that might not be well-known to law enforcement officials now, but is poised to replace the synthetic drugs the county is hoping to banish.

The county’s proposed ordinance cites Thailand’s decision to outlaw kratom, as well as the substance’s inclusion on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s list of drugs and chemicals of concern as reason for banning it in Pinellas.

County officials also have proposed new regulations that would require stores selling glass pipes and bongs to post large warning signs on the front of their buildings.

Legal but Dangerous: Synthetic drug causing problems in Casa Grande

The “spice” container reads: “Warning This Product is Not For Human Consumption.” It’s marketed as incense, herbs or potpourri, but you won’t find it at your local home or candle store. You’ll find this spice at the local convenience and liquor stores, gas stations and smoke shops.The problem with this dangerous drug is so big that President Barack Obama signed the Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 in early July. The law bans synthetic marijuana and other synthetic drugs like “bath salts,” which are commonly sold as plant food. They have nothing in common with the toiletries used to soften skin.

But the manufacturers simply change the formula slightly to stay one step ahead of the law.

No numbers are yet available for emergency calls resulting from using spice, but the American Association of Poison Control Centers reported more than 6,100 emergency calls about bath salt drugs in 2011 — up from just 304 in 2010 — and more than 1,700 calls in the first half of 2012.

What exactly is spice?

“People say that it’s synthetic marijuana,” said Cindy Schaider, executive director of the Casa Grande Alliance. “It’s not marijuana — in fact that’s part of the danger. People in the first place erroneously believe marijuana is safe — which it’s not — but then if marijuana is safe, then synthetic marijuana would be safe. Neither one is safe, but spice is a really dangerous drug.”

The National Institute on Drug Abuse defines spice as a wide variety of herbal mixtures that produce experiences similar to marijuana (cannabis) and that are marketed as safe, legal alternatives to that drug.

Spice looks like dried grass clippings or shredded plant materials, but it contains chemical additives responsible for mind-altering effects that have been linked to violent behavior across the United States.

According to the National Association for Addiction Professionals, there are two receptors in the human brain that react to cannabinoids. One reduces pain and the other allows people to “get high.” Synthetic or natural substances used to get high can have many other effects on humans: severe anxiety, panic attacks, disassociation, racing thoughts, hallucinations, rapid pulse (tachycardia) and death/suicide.

“The chemical in marijuana stimulates the part of the brain called the cannabinoid receptor and that is what gives them the feeling of intoxication,” Schaider said. “Spice has synthetically created a similar chemical — they spray it on these leaves so when you smoke it, it stimulates that part of your brain.”

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration was able to get five of the major chemicals banned for a one-year period but companies that produce spice are constantly reformulating the chemicals to stay one step ahead of law enforcement.

What smokers say

It’s legal to buy yet everyone I interviewed didn’t want to provide a real name.

“James,” 45, smokes spice every day. “I’ve been smoking it for a couple years — it’s off the chain!” James said. “It’s awesome — for one thing it doesn’t show up on my job’s drug screen. I operate heavy equipment and am drug tested frequently.” James was constantly shifting and appeared nervous, while beads of sweat appeared on his face, despite the fact the interview was conducted in an air-conditioned building.

“You get the same effect as marijuana but you don’t get as sleepy or hallucinate — you get a high but it stops sooner — you stay high for an hour or two. I roll mine in a flavored blunt — try to cover up the taste.”

 

Mom, 40, and Daughter, 19, smoke spice together. This particular day they bought 10 grams of spice, the volume equivalent of $30 in marijuana. “We smoke spice because marijuana is too expensive,” they said.

Mom works in the behavioral health department at a Florence correctional facility. “Not only that but my job drug screens and this isn’t detectable. I’m a little scared and nervous about the things I’ve heard about it though,” she said.

“How people are ending up in diapers or losing their hair or have internal bleeding.” But that doesn’t stop them from using it. “It’s almost the equivalent of smoking marijuana,” Mom said. “Except this is a little more intense — it’s a quicker high but it goes away quicker too. There have been times when I smoked it and I’m sitting down — I have to literally think about what I’m going to do even if it’s just to go to the bathroom — I have to plan it out because I feel like I’m about to fall.”

Drivers under the influence of the drug may face charges of driving while impaired, said Officer Thomas Anderson of the Casa Grande Police Department.

Boyfriend, 28, and Girlfriend, 25, smoke spice regularly.

“I’ve smoked it quite a few times,” Boyfriend said. “It gives you a good high for 15 to 20 minutes. I’ve smoked some that has made me hallucinate — pretty wild.”

Girlfriend said she doesn’t believe it makes people sick.

“I think it’s just mass hysteria — it’s the legal way of smoking marijuana,” she said.

“It’s all a conspiracy made up by the government,” said Boyfriend. However, “I heard people died from it — that makes me nervous.”

Why do they sell it?

It’s legal to sell but the store owners don’t want to use their names.

One Casa Grande smoke shop owner said he didn’t know anything about it when asked if it was dangerous.

“It says not for human consumption,” he commented. “You seem to know more than I do about it.” Other questions received an answer of “no comment.”

A spokeswoman at Smoke’m, 1397 E. Florence Blvd., said the store sells spice as “exotic potpourri.” She said people are using it as synthetic marijuana. Her store doesn’t advertise the product and keeps it hidden behind the counter because children sometimes come into the store with parents.

“It’s [spice] not for human consumption — but it’s in my top six sellers — it’s very common. One of my employees got sick off the old stuff and he had to take a couple of days off from work — flu-like symptoms — it’s not for human consumption,” she said. The owner said she believes the drug will become illegal to sell eventually.

An employee at a liquor store in Casa Grande said she wouldn’t smoke it. She said the store has at least three regular customers, including one man who buys $30 a day in spice — that’s $900 per month.

All the stores I spoke with said they only sell the second generation of spice. However, one customer said he knew of one store that still had the original stuff — you just need to know how to ask for it.

After the first generation of spice and its chemical makeup were made illegal, developers of the product tweaked the molecular structure to avoid prosecution.

One family’s experience

Joe Rodriguez, 46, of Stanfield said he found out his 25-year-old son was smoking spice in November 2011.

“I didn’t know until I went through his room and found a little jar with a screw-on lid,” Rodriguez said. “I asked him, what is this?”

The son told him it was a legal form of cannabis since he couldn’t smoke pot at work due to drug testing.

Rodriguez said he noticed his son’s habits change — from the way he dressed to cleaning up his room.

“Stuff around the house started coming up missing — a PS3 I won at work, a watch and some other stuff,” he said. “I don’t know what he did with it — he just said he needed it. He acted totally different.”

The son had graduated from college with a computer science degree.

“This was a kid who could sit down, look at a computer and say ‘this is the problem’ without even touching it and now he’s forgetting it. My son taught me how to use a computer — he knows how to break them down, he knows code, he knows DOS. If you would have met him before he started smoking spice, he was respectful and a good kid.”

The son is now in the county jail on a misdemeanor charge for failure to appear in court. Rodriguez said one night his son got so angry he threw a speaker at his face, causing Rodriguez to need medical attention under his right eye. The son is scheduled to be released from jail later this month.

“Now he thinks somebody is following him, somebody’s bugging the house — he’s just paranoid,” he said. “This kid used to build robots in high school — this kid was smart.”

Rodriguez is worried the drug caused some permanent damage to his son.

“I know he’s not going to be the same,” he said. “But I’m hoping that he’ll stop it and move forward with his life because he’s a good kid.”

Affecting the community

“I’m really concerned about spice,” Schaider said. “We are part of the Pinal County Substance Abuse Council and put out a brochure each year about drug trends. This year our brochure is about spice and it’s perfectly legal to buy spice.”

Most employers screen with a general five-panel test, referred to as a NIDA-5. This standard test provides rapid results if marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines/methamphetamines, opiates and phencyclidine (PCP) are detected in the urine.

Donna McBride, spokeswoman for Pinal County Juvenile Court Services, said that last year the county was offered free testing for spice for all probationers.

“The numbers were quite high,” she said. “There is a specific test for spice — it’s quite frankly rather costly. If we have a probation officer that suspects a kid might be using this stuff, then they can request an additional testing.”

“When we test­ — we find kids using because it’s easily accessible,” she said. “Have we seen it increase? Yes, because it’s like a new fad — something that kids are going to gravitate toward — something new to try.”

McBride said that if the test comes back positive for spice, the probation officer sits down with the juvenile and the family to discuss counseling information and come up with a plan to help the juvenile. The juvenile is retested at a later date and faces consequences if the result is positive.

“If we start with this town, this county — and stop the sale of it,” Rodriguez said. “These kids are not going to drive to Phoenix to go get it. We can put a dent in stopping them from ruining our kids’ lives — or anybody’s lives.”

McBride offered up one way for the community to be more responsible.

“If you’re a business owner and you do drug testing, make sure that your drug test includes those drugs that are pertinent to our area, which includes spice and bath salts,” she said.

Police raid Duluth store in national drug sweep

DULUTH – Spilling out of a city bus Wednesday morning, a cadre of federal agents and Duluth police officers raced into the Last Place on Earth with guns drawn, ordering everyone face down onto the floor.

“I was terrified to have a gun pointed at my face,” said Cynthia Peterson, 20, who had come to the head shop with her fiancé and a friend of his who intended to buy synthetic marijuana sold as “herbal incense.”

The raid, the second on the Duluth establishment in less than a year, was part of a nationwide federal crackdown Wednesday on dealers in what health experts consider the latest illegal drug epidemic: man-made chemicals designed to mimic marijuana, ecstasy and other illegal drugs. Sold online and in stores as “incense,” “bath salts,” “plant food” and other innocuous-sounding products, synthetic or designer drugs have generated thousands of calls to poison control centers and have been linked to more than 20 deaths in the United States, including two in Minnesota.

Michele Leonhart, an administrator with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), scheduled a news briefing for Thursday to announce “Operation Log Jam,” a “takedown” of synthetic-drug dealers in 100 cities across the country. Duluth’s raid apparently was the only one in Minnesota.

DEA raids also were reported to have occurred Wednesday in New York, Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. Jeanne Cooney, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Minneapolis, said most of the raids targeted dealers, whereas agents in Duluth only seized evidence.

“We are executing search warrants in connection to an ongoing investigation,” Cooney said. “We are not at this time making any arrests or filing charges.”

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, in a ceremony scheduled for Thursday morning, is expected to sign a bill that will make it a felony to sell synthetic drugs. The law takes effect Aug. 1.

Jim Carlson, owner of the Duluth head shop, was on a fishing trip to Alaska on Wednesday, according to his girlfriend and business partner, Lava Haugen.

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She said the officers presented a warrant and seized at least $20,000 worth of herbal incense, and files, invoices and other business records as well as a number of guns Carlson kept at the store. Officers also identified and searched customers, arresting at least two for outstanding warrants.

Peterson said those arrested included her fiancé, Phillip White, who was sought by Benton County authorities for allegedly violating terms of probation.

Haugen said police closed the store for at least several hours while conducting the raid.

Minnesota outlawed many of the chemicals in synthetic drugs last year. Carlson, of Superior, Wis., was one of the few dealers in the state who continued to sell them, saying he switched to products with different formulas that might not be covered by the law.

He said in a 2011 interview that his store was on pace to sell $6 million in synthetic marijuana and stimulants that year. Asked Wednesday whether sales had met that expectation, Haugen said: “Yes, sales have been just as good, if not more so.”

Duluth police raided Carlson’s store in September, seizing what he said was $50,000 worth of herbal incense, thousands of dollars in cash, his computer, cellphone and 31 guns.

No charges were filed after that raid, however. Jon Holets, an assistant St. Louis County attorney, said that’s because local authorities learned of the federal investigation and decided to “collaborate” with federal authorities rather than prosecute Carlson under state laws.

Carlson’s attorney, Randall Tigue, said that he had yet to see the search warrant for Wednesday’s raid but was puzzled about its legal basis because new federal synthetic drug regulations don’t take effect until October.

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Tigue said he’s prepared to fight any charges by arguing that the substances are banned based on how the human brain reacts to them.

“Defining criminality by a reaction within the brain makes it a thought crime, and prosecuting someone for that would violate the First Amendment,” Tigue said, adding that if Carlson isn’t charged in connection with last year’s raid, he might sue for the return of the incense.

“What this raid tells me is that the first raid didn’t yield anything they could charge him with,” Tigue said.

Haugen, who notified Carlson of the raid, predicted that they’ll simply reorder products and restock shelves, as they did after the last raid. “I’m sure we’re going to reopen and keep doing what we were doing,” she said.

While some customers, including Peterson, said the raid amounted to nothing more than “hassling people,” Dean Baltes, owner and publisher of Shel/Don Design & Imaging, a shop next door, said he was thrilled to see it.

For more than a year, Baltes and owners of other nearby businesses have complained that Carlson’s synthetic drugs have attracted an unsavory and sometimes strung-out clientele that intimidates and disgusts visitors to Duluth’s “Old Downtown.”

 

 

“My partner, who is a CPA, calculated that it costs us $2,000 a day in walk-in trade,” Baltes said as he watched the raid from across the street. “People don’t want to deal with the violence, or the vomit in our doorway. I didn’t expect this, and I’m extremely glad it’s happening. I hope it sticks.”

DEA raids smoke shops in Las Cruces, Sunland Park, Alamogordo

LAS CRUCES — Federal and local law enforcement officers raided several smoke shops Wednesday in Las Cruces, as well as one business in Sunland Park, as part of a nationwide investigation into the alleged production and distribution of synthetic drugs.

Masked agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency, assisted by LCPD officers, were seen removing several large boxes of evidence from at least three retail locations near the intersection of South Solano Drive and East Idaho Avenue.

Federal agents also raided the Station Recreation smoke shop on 1621 Appaloosa in Sunland Park. DEA officials did not say Wednesday if any raids in southern New Mexico resulted in arrests.

An affidavit filed in support of the search warrants in the U.S. District Court for New Mexico indicates that 14 businesses in Las Cruces, Sunland Park and Alamogordo were targeted for allegedly selling illegal synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as Spice, and synthetic cathinones, more popularly known as “bath salts.”

Two smoke shops in Silver City, Twisted Illusions and The Smoke Shop, were not raided and neither sells Spice, workers said.

In January, the DEA, joined by other federal and local law enforcement agencies, began investigating the smoke shops, often sending undercover agents to purchase suspected synthetic drugs, according to court documents.

“Each undercover operation has resulted in the seizure of individual-used sized containers containing a plant material that is believed to

have been treated with chemicals or a powdery-like substance,” DEA agent Jeffery S. Castillo wrote in his affidavit.

The raids in southern New Mexico appeared to be part of a coordinated nationwide investigation as the DEA on Wednesday also raided businesses in El Paso, Albuquerque, as well as locations in California, Utah, New York and New Hampshire, according to published reports.

“DEA agents are conducting numerous enforcement operations throughout the region … This is part of a bigger operation,” said Carmen Coutino, a spokeswoman for the DEA office in El Paso.

The search warrant for the businesses in southern New Mexico, signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Carmen E. Garza, authorized agents to seize written and electronic documents, financial records, suspected synthetic drugs and paraphernalia, as well as security camera recordings.

Witnesses at Somewhere Else Comics Games, one of 10 businesses in Las Cruces targeted by the DEA, said Wednesday that police officers entered the business with guns drawn, announcing they were raiding the establishment.

“They pat-frisked me and my son. It was very scary for us,” said one woman who declined to give her name. She and her 13-year-old son sat inside a vehicle outside the store at 1230 S. Solano Drive.

Authorities also raided Phat Glass, located next door to Somewhere Else Comics and Games, and Smokin Supply, less than a quarter-mile away at 1315 S. Solano Drive.

“They came in, guns drawn, told me to put my hands up and handcuffed me,” said Maurice Portillo, co-owner of Smokin Supply, who was not arrested and subsequently released.

Portillo said the DEA agents “tore” through his shop, turning around security cameras and taking cell phones, business records, as well as glass containers and herbal incense products that are often described as synthetic marijuana because of their chemical composition.

Portillo, a 29-year-old U.S. Army veteran and student at New Mexico State University, said he believed the products he sold were legal, noting that he bought them from a distributor who also provided literature vouching for their legality with DEA drug scheduling provisions.

“I don’t do any illegal business out here. There’s no history of anything illegal here,” said Portillo, who opened his business about six weeks ago. Portillo said the DEA agents did not tell him what they were looking for, and made several references to the operation being “Obama (expletive).”

“I was like, ‘This is just (expletive) politics …,'” Portillo said.

On July 9, President Barack Obama signed the Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 2012, which instituted tougher criminal penalties for selling some first-generation synthetic drugs — such as K2 and Spice — as well as some newer ones.

In March 2011, the DEA “emergency scheduled” several chemicals often found in herbal incense products that make them chemically similar to tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

However, Castillo wrote in his affidavit that “clandestine manufacturers and traffickers” began distributing smokable cannabinoid products in an attempt to circumvent newly enacted federal and state laws.

Castillo said the criminal offenses possibly committed by the investigation’s targets include possession with intent to distribute analogs of a controlled substance, and selling drug paraphernalia.

Portillo, whose store also sells health items, regular tobacco products, cell phones, vaporizers and storage containers, said he never believed he was selling anything illegal and added that he cooperated with authorities. He also said the raid will only temporarily hurt his business.

“We’ll be all right. We’ll be back,” he said.

Brian Fraga can be reached at (575) 541-5462; Follow him on Twitter @bfraga

 

Closer look

The Drug Enforcement Administration, investigating the alleged production and distribution of synthetic drugs, obtained search warrants for the following businesses in southern New Mexico:

— Phat Glass, 1211 East Idaho, Las Cruces

— Phat Glass South, 306 Union, Las Cruces

— Phat Glass Too, 109 North New York, Alamogordo

— Phat Glass 3, 823 North New York, Alamogordo

— Sam’s Gift Shop and Smoking Accessories, 607-C South White Sands Boulevard, Alamogordo

— Neverwhere, 940 North Main, Las Cruces

— Somewhere Else Comic Books and Games, 1230 South Solano, Las Cruces

— Zia Tattoo, 1300 El Paseo, Las Cruces

— Station Recreation, 1621 Appaloosa, Sunland Park

— The Realm Hookah Lounge, 991 West Picacho, Las Cruces

— Smokin Supply, 1315 South Solano, Las Cruces

— Hookah Outlet, 1900 South Espina, Las Cruces

— Subherbia, 1200 East Madrid, Las Cruces

— Subherbia 2, 150 South Solano, Las Cruces
1:27 p.m.

LAS CRUCES — Federal and local law enforcement officers raided at least three Las Cruces smoke shops today as part of a wider investigation into synthetic drugs.

Masked agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency, assisted by LCPD officers, are still on-scene at Phat Glass, 1211 East Idaho Ave., Smokin Supply, 1315 South Solano Drive, and Somewhere Else Comics and Games, 1230 South Solano Drive.

Police entered the comic store/smoke shop this morning with guns drawn and announced that they were raiding the business, said two witnesses who were inside the store.

Witnesses said the agents were “looking through everything” in the store, checking counters, receipts, and pat-frisking everybody inside the business and asking for their identifications.

Federal agents were also seen bringing evidence bags inside the stores.

DEA spokesman Carmen Coutino confirmed that the investigation was related to synthetic drugs. DEA agents in New Mexico and Texas have raided other smoke shops looking to confiscate synthetic marijuana, commonly known as SPICE, according to multiple media reports.

Coutino said more information will be released later today, adding: “DEA agents are conducting numerous enforcement operations throughout the region. This is part of a bigger operation.”

12:16 p.m.

LAS CRUCES — Shops near the corner of Solano Drive and Idaho Avenue may be part of a federal raid by agents looking to confiscate the synthetic drug Spice.

According to Sun-News reporter Brian Fraga, the Las Cruces Police Department is assisting the Drug Enforcement Agency in an investigation Wednesday at Phat Glass, 1211 E. Idaho Ave., Smokin’ Supply, 1315 S. Solano Drive, and Somewhere Else Comics and Games, 1230 S. Solano Drive.

 

Police entered the comic store/smoke shop this morning with guns drawn and announced they were raiding the business, two witnesses on scene said.

DEA agents are raiding locations across New Mexico, according to multiple media sources.

DEA agents raided at least one location in Sunland Park and KOB.com is reporting DEA raided 16 locations in Albuquerque today.

A spokeswoman for the agency told KFOX14 that they are looking to confiscate Spice.

Spice refers to a wide variety of herbal mixtures that produce experiences similar to marijuana and that are marketed as safe, legal alternatives to that drug, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

Synthetic marijuana was banned in New Mexico in April 2011.