Sheriff says police will go after it ‘hard’ on the streets
Lighting up a bag of herbal incense is now illegal in Louisiana, and local sellers such as Smoker’s Haven were forced to pull all types of what is referred to as “synthetic marijuana” from their shelves.
The product was sold as incense under an array of names, including Voodoo, Fiya, Mojo and Blue Majik. The Asian-manufactured blend of herbs simulated marijuana without registering on drug tests.
The active ingredient in the herbal incense is known as JWH 018, which is a synthetic cannabinoid that gives the same effect as THC. The herbal incense is also said to contain organic foliage, extracts and compounds.
Packages are marked as “not for human consumption,” but that didn’t stop people from purchasing the product and smoking it.
“We have been carrying the product for a while and it has been really popular,” Will Hammoudeh, owner of Smoker’s Haven, said.
Hammoudeh, who pulled the product from his shelves on Saturday, said his stores saw a recent rush of people looking to purchase herbal incense.
“Of course pulling this product from our stores is going to affect us,” he said. “A lot of people bought it.”
St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne said that his office didn’t receive complaints about herbal incense from worried parents, but that he has noticed a recent increase in its usage and purchase.
“This was because they knew it would be made illegal and would be unavailable,” he said. “We also, in the process, came across some ignorant parents who thought it wasn’t a problem that their kids were doing this stuff.”
Some stores did limit purchase to those 18 years and over, while others allowed anyone to purchase the herbal incense.
“We are going to go after it hard on the streets and in any stores that still try to peddle it,” Champagne said.
Proponents of the ban say that the “synthetic marijuana” has sent people to the emergency room complaining of vomiting, hallucinations and even elevated heart rates.
Critics of the ban said that users will just turn to the Internet to purchase the synthetic marijuana, which will create a black market.
“As far as a black market, there may be some, but since it is illegal now, the users will just go back to regular weed,” Champagne said.
The new state law prohibits a number of plants from being blended and smoked or inhaled. The plants in question include mugwort, sacred lotus and dwarf skullcap. Many of these plants are listed as ingredients in herbal incense products.
Those who distribute the combined herbs will face up to five years in prison. Smoking the herbs will be punishable by up to six months in jail.
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