• 45°
franklin county times

Statewide ban takes some drugs off the shelf

 

Herbal incense products such as K-2, Spice, Serenity Now and Salvia have been deemed illegal by state law effective starting July 1. | Contributed

 

Several incense-based herb tobacco products were pulled from the shelves before stores carrying the substances could open up for business on Thursday.

An act banning herbal incense products such as K-2, Spice, Serenity Now and Salvia was signed into law by Gov. Bob Riley and went into effect statewide July 1.

The drugs named in the ban have been marketed and sold as producing a high, which induces an intense, dreamlike experience with no additives that can be unpleasant or frightening for first-time users.

Reports indicate that it is the man-made spray on the tobacco leafs that made these now illegal products so potent.

Some stores who sell the products have mentioned relocating to Tennessee where the ban doesn’t apply.

Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing said the ban signed by the governor is a good thing.

“Some of the products that were banned were three to four times more potent then marijuana,” he said. “We have had a lot of repeat offenders that deal with marijuana who have swapped over and at the point in time there was nothing we could do about it, but now we can and that is good news.”

Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing brought the issue of salvia use to light in the summer of 2007 after a group of local teenagers told him about the growing popularity of salvia use.

Rushing helped spearhead an effort, which was led by Sen. Roger Bedford and Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, to have it banned statewide.

“We have already had cases go through the court system dealing with synthetic marijuana,” Rushing said. “The defendant claimed to have purchased it from a local tobacco store in Sheffield. Here in our community I have had complaints from parents that there teens have been ordering salvia, which serves as a powerful hallucinogenic, off the Internet.

“It was hard to control because there wasn’t a law written to fight theses substances, but now with the ban going into effect we will now have the power to prosecute users and those who supply these products.”

Rushing said most people who deal out these natural herb-based substances target a younger demographic because of their computer savvy capabilities.

Rushing said the same penalties that apply when being caught with marijuana would apply in these new cases.

“If a person is caught using any of these type substances strictly for personal use without the intent to sale and it is their first time to be caught it will be considered a misdemeanor,” Rushing said.

“If a person is caught using for personal use the second time or has the intent to sell the products for the first time it will be considered a Class C felony punishable by one to ten years in prison when convicted.”

Rushing believes the substances are still premature meaning not widely known of and probably won’t be a big problem on the streets in Franklin County anytime soon.

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Mousey Brown

News

Russellville First Baptist Church receives historical marker

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Meeting a higher standard – Russellville High School JROTC

News

RCS BOE announces new superintendent  

News

Miss Dream Girl Pageant names winners

Franklin County

First Metro Bank hosts FAME Girls’ Ranch donation drive

News

PCHS holds annual Shelby Grissom Memorial Fashion Show

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: VFW Post 5184 – ‘No One Does More For Veterans’

Features

Supporting students’ futures

Features

Red Bay Garden Club discusses amaryllis planting

Franklin County

UA announces local students for fall 2023 President’s, Dean’s, graduation lists

News

School news

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Troy Oliver

Franklin County

Appropriations bill passes, allots more than $3 million for new Russellville library/multipurpose center 

Franklin County

Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association names Cattleman of the Year 

Franklin County

Franklin County votes: Unofficial March 5 primary election results 

Franklin County

Funding for new Russellville library, multipurpose community center expected this week

Features

Faces of Franklin County: BTCPA

News

GFWC Russellville Book Lovers Club sponsors downtown art crawl

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Cody Bragwell

Franklin County

42nd annual Miss RHS pageant names winners 

News

Miss RHS pageant takes place Friday

Franklin County

Political announcement: David Hester speaks about run for reelection as county commissioner

Franklin County

BTCPA auditions for final production of season take place March 3-4 

x