WASHINGTON (AP) — The Drug Enforcement Administration is extending emergency controls for six more months on five chemicals used to make fake pot products.
The agency is working on permanently designating smokable herbal products containing the five chemicals as controlled substances. The DEA took emergency action a year ago, making it illegal to possess and sell the five chemicals or products containing them.
Emergency room physicians report some users experience convulsions, anxiety attacks, dangerously elevated heart rates, increased blood pressure, vomiting, and disorientation.
Fake pot is smokeable plant leaves coated with chemicals that produce a marijuana-like high. The DEA says brands like "Spice," ''K2," ''Blaze," and "Red X Dawn" were labeled herbal incense to mask their intended purpose.
The agency says the extension will provide time to complete the steps to permanent controls.