By Rick Mann w/Plano Star
State Sen. Florence Shapiro (R-District 
continues her battle against the production and sale of K2, an herbal incense laced with synthetic substances similar to THC – the main psychoactive substance found in marijuana.
Shapiro introduced a bill Tuesday morning, the first day of the 82nd Legislature, banning K2. Currently the product is unregulated and being sold legally across Texas.
Some cities, including Plano and Allen, have banned the substance.
According to Shapiro, there is mounting anecdotal evidence that K2 can cause significant harm to its users.
“In fact, experts claim the health effects of this substance are more harmful than those of marijuana,” she said. “The bill filed is the most comprehensive K2 legislation in the nation. SB 331 will ban statewide the manufacture, sale and possession of K2. It aims to make illegal six subclasses of synthetic cannabinoids that street chemists are using to create very dangerous drugs.
“This herbal incense in name only is having detrimental effects on the people using it – a significant number of whom are young people,” she said.
While many Texas cities have already voted to ban K2, from Shapiro’s perspective, a statewide ban remains necessary.
“Elected officials have a responsibility to address threats to public health and safety – K2 is a growing threat to both that needs to be tackled before anyone else is harmed.”
Dr. Colin Kane, a pediatric cardiologist from the Dallas area, said a lack of education about K2 is alarming.
“My main concern is that young people are using this because they believe it is a safe, legal and undetectable version of marijuana – but it is not safe. I know of at least three teenagers who have suffered heart attacks after using K2.”
Chief John R. Chancellor, legislative committee chair for the Texas Police Chiefs Association, said police departments across the state have indicated concerns about the product.
“We’ve heard from police chiefs across the state about the ills of K2. We wanted to back a complete bill, one we believed would give us the tools to remove K2 from Texas’ streets. Senator Shapiro’s bill accomplishes that.”
Possession and distribution of the substance will be considered a felony and will fall under the Penalty 2 phase of the illegal substance law, should the bill pass.
“Penalties are already in place for the sale and distribution of illegal drugs, we’re simply expanding that law,” Shapiro said.
She said she knew nothing of K2 prior to a call from a McKinney City Council member who said it was being sold throughout many cities and that the health effects were “very serious.”
“The substance hasn’t been around long enough for there to be any studies about the long-term effect, but doctors have confirmed that in the short term they have seen people who have used K2 come into emergency rooms with serious heart problems.”
Shapiro said that passage of the bill looks favorable.
“At a press conference [Wednesday] there were seven senators who have signed on to the bill and 12 House members. We have to do what’s best for the health and welfare of our citizens.
“Some cities have banned the substance, but at the city level it’s only a Class C misdemeanor. The punishment is much more severe at the state level.”
