Proposed bill may make synthetic marijuana illegal in Indiana

By Staff Writer

Synthetic marijuana, which is also known as spice, could be illegal in some states within the next few months. This week, the Senate's Corrections, Criminal and Civil Matters Committee voted unanimously to support a bill that could potentially make the substance illegal in Indiana, the Indy Star reports.

Under the proposed law, Senate Bill 57, possession of spice would carry the same penalty as marijuana, which, depending on the quantity, could either be a Class A misdemeanor or a Class B felony.

Senator Ron Alting, co-author of the bill, told the news source that the General Assembly became aware of the dangers of this substance quite suddenly. In fact, an officer in the state had to tase a man who was high on spice twice before he would be subdued, the news source reports.

Tracy Brown, Tippecanoe County Sheriff, told the media outlet that the department needs help because they are currently limited in how they can address this issue, which may be an ongoing problem.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy reports that mental health problems, including depression, developmental lags, apathy, withdrawal and other psychosocial dysfunctions, are frequently linked to substance abuse among adolescents.