Synthetic Drug Offers Legal High

KANSAS CITY -- A new drug is starting to make waves across the nation. It's called K2 and it's merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to so-called "legal drugs."

It looks a lot like marijuana and works like it too only it's legal.

Called K2, the synthetic substance has just started showing up in Lawrence and the Kansas City area. "According to about 10 to 15 interviews I've done, it's supposed to be more potent than most versions of marijuana," said Johnson County Sheriff's Deputy Chris Farkes.

One Wichita store said it tell us they can't keep it in stock.

Another one said it had many customers asking for K2 but don't have it yet. It did offer a number of other legal alternatives. The  pricey plethora of pills and extracts promised everything from body tingles and euphoric rushes to relaxation, pain relief and mood elevation.

Wichita State University chemistry professor Dr. David Eichhorn agreed to analyze the samples for and said it would take weeks to positively identify everything in the drugs but his preliminary findings are eye opening.

"One of the ingredients in there is one that would potentially get across the blood brain barrier and the reality is if you do play around these types of compounds, you run the risk of seriously upsetting the balance in the brain," Eichhorn said.

K2 was actually created in a chemistry lab at Clemson University. Since it's synthetic, it's not covered by law although police who have come into contact with it, think it should be.

And that's where representative Peggy Mast comes in. "One bad experience can have a lifelong implication in someone's life," said Mast.

After recently finding out about K2 she is looking into passing legislation next session to make it illegal.

"My concern was we don't know where it's coming from, there's no quality control on this product. We don't know, the people who are selling it, what they're cutting it with, we don't the dangers are kids are taking by experimenting with it," said Mast.

Mast sponsored legislation in the past that outlaws hallucinogenic plants and salvia.

But she said lawmakers just can't keep up with everything that's on the shelves.

"Maybe that's something we really need to address. How do we get ahead of the game instead of reacting to what has occurred and what's already there," said Mast.

Those who sold us the products said they don't sell them to anyone who's under 18 and that the substances are mostly herbal and not as harmful as even alcohol.

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