Mississippi Cities and Counties Placing a Ban on the Sale of Spice

I was reading a Mississippi newspaper the other day, and in my sometimes haphazard way of reading, I thought the article said the city of Tupelo was banning spices. I couldn't believe my eyes. How would those people cook? Then I read it again and realized they were talking about something completely different.

The city of Tupelo, Mississippi is banning Spice. Not such things as oregano, basil and tarragon, but rather an incense called Spice. According to the "Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal," Tupelo is the first of what could become many more cities in Mississippi to ban the selling of the Spice.

Now I was really curious and thought this Spice must have a really bad smell if they were planning to ban the selling of it, so I read on. Although Spice is sold as an herbal incense in many convenience and tobacco stores, lawmakers have concerns that some consumers are using it as a fake marijuana.

According to this report, it produces a similar effect to the body such as marijuana but doesn't show up in drug tests. By similar effect, I assume they mean sit in the corner while avidly concentrating on a spider web hanging from the ceiling like some potheads I knew back in the day. Since it is an incense and clearly marked not for human consumption, people still somehow figured this out for themselves. Spice has not been an illegal drug up to this point. Could that be because it's an incense, people.

It has always fascinated me that some people will inhale oddball substances to get a good high. It really makes me wonder how many things they sniffed before they found something like Spice. I accidentally inhaled some fingernail polish remover one time and thought I'd never breathe again. Jeeze! I can just see people one day sitting in a room where Spice was burning and suddenly felt very laid back and thought what a hard working spider that is in the corner.

Although it will be illegal to purchase Spice inside the city limits, Lee County in which Tupelo is located has not passed such a ban on Spice. According to Sheriff Jim Johnson, who has been investigating Spice, he feels that a ban is not called for because the incense is not being sold as a drug. According to the "Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal" Sheriff Johnson states, "You can huff paint, sniff gasoline, sniff glue, but that's an individual using it in a manner that's not intended for...At some point, the individual is going to have to take the responsibility." Imagine that.

Recently, the Lafayette County, Mississippi Board of Supervisors also voted unanimously to join in with other Mississippi cities and counties and ban the use of Spice in Lafayette County. According to "The Oxford Eagle" newspaper, this ordinance "will make it illegal to buy, sell, possess or distribute the herbal mixture or any similar substances and carry penalties up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail -- similar to what possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana would carry." Although the city does not fall under the domain of this new ban, the Board of Supervisors is hoping the Board of Alderman will soon follow suit in banning Spice in the city.

According to the "Commercial Appeal" newspaper, in Arkansas where several cities have already passed laws banning the purchase and use of Spice, a new state rule has been put into place prohibiting the sale of K2, one of the brand names under which the incense is sold. The state emailed the cities who had banned the product asking that they repeal the local regulation because of the state-wide ban which is in effect for 120 days while a permanent restriction is being drafted.

Although I appreciate the concerns over this, I have to admit that I think Sheriff Johnson has a point. If people are going to purchase and misuse a product, where can we draw the line? At some point adults have to be responsible for their actions. After all, I'd hate to get raided someday and have them take away all my cleaning products. Then again, it might alleviate that housework thing that's such a chore.

Sources:

"The Commercial Appeal"
"The Oxford Eagle"
"Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal"