DENVER—A vote on whether to ban synthetic marijuana was delayed Wednesday amid disagreement over what the punishment should be for having or selling so-called “Spice” or “K2.”
The senator sponsoring the bill asked a Senate panel to postpone the vote after another lawmaker proposed an amendment to lessen the penalties related to the drug, capping the punishment at a misdemeanor.
“I think that weakens the bill pretty dramatically,” said Sen. Mike Kopp, the Republican leader in the Senate. “It should be treated as the serious drug that it is.”
A vote will be rescheduled later so Kopp can present additional witnesses.
Senate Bill 134 would outlaw several chemicals used to make synthetic cannabinoids and people who manufacture or sell the drug could face felony charges, if the proposal is left unchanged. The chemicals to make synthetic pot are widely available on the Internet and mimic the effects of marijuana. Because the fake pot is typically sold as incense and labeled as not intended for consumption, there’s little oversight of the chemicals used in the drugs.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration banned Spice on March 1, but the federal ban lasts only a year while the agency reviews the new drug.
Kopp said the drug is much more powerful than marijuana and as serious as cocaine.
Last month, Colorado lawmakers who heard testimony expressed concern that because the bill doesn’t include any money to educate people about the drug, some young people could face felony charges before realizing Spice is illegal.
Democratic Sen. Morgan Carroll presented the amendment that Kopp objected to.
“I think we are admittedly struggling a little bit to figure out how to handle these new designer drugs,” she said.
Sen. Steve King, another Republican who opposed Carroll’s amendment, said dealing the drug should carry a strict punishment.
“It is nothing more than adults preying on children for their money,” he said. “It should be a felony.”
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