Duluth officials vote to ban synthetic marijuana

The Duluth City Council on Monday night voted to ban the sale, purchase and possession of synthetic marijuana - a move that makes Duluth the first Minnesota city to outlaw the drug and could lead to a lawsuit from some local retailers.

The ordinance was introduced by Duluth City Councilor Todd Fedora, who said the city can't afford to wait for the state to ban the fake pot, as nearly a dozen other states have already done.

"I don't want to wait for the state to do something. It's my preference that Duluth gets a jump-start on this issue," Fedora told the Duluth News Tribune. "If the state's fourth-largest city takes this step, I'm hopeful it will provide some sort of momentum for others."

But retailers aren't happy with the proposal and are considering a lawsuit. Jim Carlson, owner of Last Place on Earth, said synthetic marijuana accounts for about half of his store's sales, and a ban would do little to reduce its use since the ordinance would only send customers to neighboring cities.

"You're also going to lose the city and sales taxes on it to communities like Hermantown or Superior," Carlson said.

The Duluth News Tribune reported that Monday's council vote was unanimous, with one member abstaining. Councilor Jeff Anderson, a radio man, chose not to vote because his stations advertises for the Last Place on Earth.

The newspaper reported that Brian Lukasavitz, coordinator for the 6th Judicial Drug Court, first became aware the fake pot was gaining a foothold in Duluth about eight months ago. Since then, he said, "Its use has clearly been expanding."

The local drug court has added synthetic marijuana to its list of banned substances for those ordered to stay sober.

Lukasavitz said synthetic-marijuana use is growing and the drug is typically three to five times more potent than the natural drug.

The synthetic drug affects people differently, but has been known to cause anxiety and a racing heart. In some cases, heart attacks, seizures and hallucinations were reported. It's gaining popularity partly because it doesn't register on conventional drug tests, and special tests for it are expensive. A screening for regular marijuana costs about $5 to $10, while screening for the synthetic costs about $140, Lukasavitz said.

With synthetic marijuana, compounds are sprayed on dried herbs and flowers and often sold as incense. The compounds are released on combustion, producing a marijuana-like high when smoked or inhaled.

Duluth Police Lt. Steve Stracek said several local retailers carry synthetic marijuana, marketed as "incense" under names like K2, Spice, Bayou Blaster, Spike Gold and Yucatan Fire. He said vendors have adopted in-store policies to sell it only to customers 18 and older, but there is nothing in the law to keep the drug from being sold to kids.

Stracek supports the proposed ban, saying: "If our community were to condone this, young people would think it was OK."

State Sen. Katie Sieben, DFL-Cottage Grove, plans to introduce a bill during the next legislative session to outlaw the drug statewide.

The city is getting support from Cheryl Berg, of Augusta, Wis. Her son, Jason Bell, 25, had been institutionalized in a mental-health unit for the past few months after bingeing on K2.

"I felt compelled to do something, because I don't want to see anyone else hurt," she said. "This stuff does not belong on the street."

Rick Bell, Jason's father, added: "This poison needs to be stopped before it hurts any more families or any more kids."

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Information from: Duluth News Tribune

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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