For several years, it’s been completely legal for just about anyone in the U.S. to get their hands on K2, a so-called “herbal incense” which also happens to be sprayed with cannabinoids, meaning you should get a similar experience from smoking K2 as you would marijuana. However, it’s recently been banned in Kansas and the state of Illinois is looking into the legality of K2.

The Illinois state House recently signed off on a bill that would declare K2 a controlled substance; they’re currently waiting for the state Senate to review it.

Here’s how a buzzkill from the Chicago office of the DEA explains things:

You have these products that were not meant for human consumption that are being used for human consumption because they reportedly have effects similar to THC… Some of it is even more potent than THC. What has happened is a lot of these products aren’t produced in the U.S. but in foreign countries. They’re uncontrolled and unregulated, so they may have unknown effects on the human body.

Adds an Illinois state rep, “We’re just trying to protect people a little bit against themselves.”

So there you have it. Do you feel the need to be protected against yourself?

‘K2’ herbal product in demand, despite warnings [Chicago Tribune]

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