SEBASTIAN — The Sebastian Police Department and the Florida Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco conducted an operation called “Up in Smoke,” seizing designer drugs and ‘fake weed.’ The operation was conducted as an attempt to stop the sale of “Fake Weed” known as K2, Spice, at Cloud 9 at a local establishment.
Special Agents from A.B.& T. and Police Officers with the Sebastian Police Department conducted an undercover purchase of “Synthetic Cannabinoid – Cloud 9” at Pari Discount Beverage (Nupac) Convenience store located at 695 Sebastian Blvd. on Friday evening.
During the operation, 137 Grams of “Synthetic Cannabinoid – Spice/Cloud 9” were seized along with 5 Grams of “Mephedrone or MDPV – Bath Salts,” which are the latest designer drugs.
An arrest is expected in the near future pending the laboratory results on each of the substances, this is a formality due to the nation not having field test kits available to officers.
The herbal smoking product known as “Cloud 9 – Spice” is a Synthetic Cannabinoid. It is made with a mixture of herbal and spice plant products which are sprayed with a potent psychotropic drug and other unknown toxic substance that cause adverse effects on the body.
This substance and others like it were seen on the shelves of convenience stores and “head shops” across the United States until this past year.
On March 1, all “Synthetic Cannabinoid” in the United States became illegal to possess under the emergency ban established by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
Prior to the law going into effect anyone, including minors, could walk into shops, convenience stores and even gas stations and pay between $12-$30 for the substance and walk out with legal synthetic marijuana.
Users indicate the high comes on slow at first, then with surprising potency. There have been many reports about the adverse effects including agitation, rapid heart rate, confusion, dizziness and nausea. Numerous deaths have been linked to the substance across the nation. The reported high effects are four to 10 times stronger than marijuana.
The designer or synthetic drug called “Bath Salts,” mephedrone or Methylenedioxypyrovalerone – MDPV is an amphetamine that is highly addictive and very dangerous.
It’s a central nervous system stimulant, so it will increase your blood pressure and increase your heart rate.
It can also cause delusions, paranoia, psychosis, chest pain, heart attack, stroke and even death.
Bath Salts are a designer drug of the phenethylamine class. It is structurally related to cathinone, an active alkaloid found in the khat plant, methamphetamine, and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or more commonly referred to as “Ecstasy.” Like “Spice” it has no approved medical use in the United States.
On July 1, “Bath Salts – MDPV” became an illegal schedule I controlled substance in Florida.