Dear editor,

Who knew that with all the great array of useful things we get from China, that China is also exporting to us a dangerous drug. When we think of Chinese imports, we think of household goods, toys, etc. What we probably don’t think of is drugs.

Apparently the Chinese are capitalizing on the fact that Americans like their drugs. However, the Chinese aren’t using dangerous cartels as pushers, they are legally exporting the chemicals that go into making synthetic marijuana (called K2 or spice). The imported mixture is then sold legally in head shops, convenient stores and online.

Narconon Georgia has recently been receiving an increased amount of phone calls inquiring about what help is available for this new drug. In doing research on K2, we were shocked with what we discovered.

The first thing we found in our investigation is that K2 is supposed to be illegal in Georgia. In March of this year “Chase’s Law” was signed by Gov. Nathan Deal. The law was named in memory of Chase Burnett, who drowned after smoking synthetic marijuana. In the presence of Chase’s parents, the governor signed the bill to outlaw all forms of the drug.

Sadly, however, K2 is still for sale in Georgia. Narconon Georgia staff found at least four out of five shops, local to the area, where K2 can still be purchased. Only one smoke shop wasn’t able to sell it to us. But an employee assured us that though they weren’t allowed to sell it yet, their attorneys were “working on it.”

Head shops are convenient “one stop shops” for K2 smokers. The combination of herbs, spices and synthetic THC (the ingredients of K2), the rolling papers and pipes used to smoke it, can all be conveniently purchased in one place. No more hassle of dealing with prescriptions or breaking the law – it’s easy now.

Customers range from high school students to ex-convicts, and as online forums continue to tout the virtues of K2 and as questionable attorneys stay one step ahead of the law, it is likely that the customer base will continue to grow.

This is frightening. The legality makes it easy to purchase, and there is a growing base of young customers. The ingredients don’t have to be listed, because K2 is not sold for human consumption, so no one knows what they are really smoking. This scary set of circumstances and the attendant deaths of young people, are exactly why Nathan Deal signed a bill to make K2 illegal.

According to reports, there are thousands of Chinese labs ready to take orders for the chemicals that go into making K2. And when one chemical is made illegal through legislation, there is another chemical right behind it, ready to be shipped to the states. We now have an import that can harm our children and destroy our quality of life.

Our governor had the right idea. We don’t’ want K2 in Georgia. Let’s stand behind Chase’s parents and make our voices heard.

Mary Rieser

Executive director, Narconon Georgia