The Utah County Commission has passed an ordinance banning the possession, purchase or use of Spice in unincorporated areas. Spice is an herb laced with a synthetic form of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana.
Police say Spice mimics the effects of marijuana. However, it is legal to buy, possess and use this substance in Utah. It is primarily sold in smoke shops, but it is also available in some convenience stores. Recently, Ogden residents launched a grassroots effort to stop a convenience store from selling the herb next to an elementary school. A city ordinance is contemplated.
Logan and Cache County also are considering bans amid reports of increased use and abuse of the substance.
Local governments' attempts to address this issue are commendable. But given the risks of this legal product, patchwork bans will not be sufficient. Law enforcement officials say Spice is addictive, harsher on the body than marijuana and is readily available to minors. The Utah Legislature needs to need to establish a statewide ban as soon as possible.
Spice has become a vexing problem for police, parents and the drug treatment community. Some police officers have encountered children as young as sixth-graders using Spice. Police say some drug court defendants use it to get high yet appear to be complying with the conditions of their agreements with various courts because Spice cannot be detected in drug screens.
Earlier this year, Cache County health officials said at least six people have been treated in the emergency room for stomach pain after smoking Spice, although none were admitted.
Local bans on the possession and use of Spice are developing in the absence of a state law. While local officials are doing all in their power to control this dangerous substance, it is conceivable that local ordinances banning Spice will push the problem elsewhere. A state law would be a better solution.