The D'Alliance: Personal Views on Drug Policy

Spice Wars

Monday, February 22, 2010

There's a new substance on drug prohibitionists' hit list. Spice, also known as K2, is an herbal incense blend sprayed with a synthetic compound that chemically mimics THC. Right now, a relatively small number of people have used Spice, but new attention from lawmakers and the media is sure to raise its profile - showing exactly why a reactionary approach to drugs and drug use is always counterproductive.

Legislators in Kansas and Missouri are considering banning Spice, and the media has seized onto the drug war hysteria. In the past week, news outlets across the country have reported on Spice, and many have regurgitated the alarmist rhetoric of those pushing a ban. Some sample headlines:

"Cops: Imitation pot as bad as the real thing"

"K2 - the new buzz on the street"

"Fake Weed (Spice, Genie, K2) Getting Kids High, But There's Nothing Cops Can Do"

In most respects, it's a familiar story. The government bans one drug (marijuana), so people seek a legal alternative (Spice). Drug war proponents then employ scare tactics claiming the alternative drug is the next big threat, and the media plays into the hype. Lawmakers hoping to appear "tough on crime" seek to ban the new drug. And the cycle continues.

But I'm curious to see how effective the fear-mongering around Spice will be now that support for ending marijuana prohibition is so widespread. Will the public really be so up in arms about a marijuana-like substance when the most recent polling shows nearly half the country in favor of legalizing marijuana outright and a substantial majority in favor of allowing medical marijuana access?

It seems like the tide is turning, and, hopefully, more people than ever will recognize the hypocrisy of drug war scare tactics.