Title
An Ordinance to Create 6.07 Banning Synthetic Marijuana.
Body
The Common Council of the City of West Allis do ordain as follows:
PART I. Section 6.07 of the Revised Municipal Code of the City of West Allis is hereby created to read:
6.07 BANNING SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA.
(1) Declaration of intent.
(a) Whereas, The open sale of synthetic marijuana - commonly known as "K-2", "Spice", or by other street names at convenience stores and other retailers, and the public consumption and use of so-called incense products and herbal potpourris is on the rise; and
(b) Whereas, These synthetic marijuana products - which sell for as much as $40 a gram - are believed to be potpourri-like blends of herbs and marijuana-derivatives formulated in research labs as scientists study their possible therapeutic use (e.g., pain management for cancer patients) and promise users an intoxicating, "legal" high every bit as intense as natural marijuana that will not show up on employer drug screens; and
(c) Whereas, The marijuana derivatives used in these synthetic marijuana products have yet to be tested by the FDA and certified as safe for human consumption, and because they are sold as incense or potpourri there is no health or quality assurance regulation to ensure these products are safe; and
(d) Whereas, Some scientific articles indicate synthetic marijuana may be between 3 and 100 times more potent than natural marijuana with longer duration; and
(e) Whereas, The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports 1,503 synthetic marijuana related calls through September 27, 2010, up from only 13 in 2009: and
(f) Whereas, The National Drug Intelligence Center of the U.S. Department of Justice indicates the adverse effects of synthetic marijuana, when smoked, include panic attacks, anxiety, elevated pulse and blood pressure, numbness, tingling, intense hallucinations, vomiting, and in some cases, seizures; and
(g) Whereas, Users of these synthetic mar...
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