The Colony Courier-leader > News
TCPD makes K2 bust
By Blaine Crimmins, bcrimmins@starlocalnews.com
Detectives from The Colony Police Department served a narcotics search warrant at Blue Phoenix Smoke Shop on Wednesday, seizing evidence that the business was selling K2 packaged as potpourri, according to a release from TCPD.
Blue Phoenix is located within a shopping strip in the 3800 block of Main Street. The search warrant was obtained after an undercover detective purchased substances labeled as potpourri but were allegedly intended to be consumed as a synthetic cannabinoid known as K2 or Spice, stated the release.
Narcotic detectives opened an investigation when they received information that Blue Phoenix was possibly selling products containing chemical derivatives of K2. The investigation was “heightened” when two confirmed cases of K2 overdose occurred in the city since January, neither of which resulted in death but both required medical treatment.
TCPD spokesman Lt. Darren Brockway could not confirm the overdose victims purchased their K2 from this store nor provide additional information about them as the investigation remains ongoing.
Several other items were seized from the so-called "head shop” on Main Street. The penalty for selling a Schedule 2-A drug ranges from a state jail felony up to a first degree felony. Although an arrest was not made during the search at Blue Phoenix, felony charges are expected to be filed after the investigation is completed.
“Along with suspected K2, other substances believed illegal were seized,” Brockway said. “We are going to wait on ‘official’ lab results to determine what charges to file. Different substances are covered under different schedule groups with variations in severity of charge and sentencing.”
K2, when ingested, is reported to mimic the effects of marijuana. Although the packaging from Blue Phoenix was not labeled as K2 or Spice, test results yielded positive for derivatives of the substance that are illegal to possess and/or sell under state law.
The chemical derivatives that make up K2 were deemed illegal during the last legislative session after incidents of hospitalizations and deaths across the nation were directly linked to smoking K2, stated the release. The most-common, lesser reported side effects of K2 include hallucinations, agitation, increase in heart rate/blood pressure, tremors, and vomiting. The drug is known to increase cardiovascular issues because of its high potency and pose life-threatening problems to other areas of the body, according to police.
Blue Phoenix is located within a shopping strip in the 3800 block of Main Street. The search warrant was obtained after an undercover detective purchased substances labeled as potpourri but were allegedly intended to be consumed as a synthetic cannabinoid known as K2 or Spice, stated the release.
Narcotic detectives opened an investigation when they received information that Blue Phoenix was possibly selling products containing chemical derivatives of K2. The investigation was “heightened” when two confirmed cases of K2 overdose occurred in the city since January, neither of which resulted in death but both required medical treatment.
TCPD spokesman Lt. Darren Brockway could not confirm the overdose victims purchased their K2 from this store nor provide additional information about them as the investigation remains ongoing.
Several other items were seized from the so-called "head shop” on Main Street. The penalty for selling a Schedule 2-A drug ranges from a state jail felony up to a first degree felony. Although an arrest was not made during the search at Blue Phoenix, felony charges are expected to be filed after the investigation is completed.
“Along with suspected K2, other substances believed illegal were seized,” Brockway said. “We are going to wait on ‘official’ lab results to determine what charges to file. Different substances are covered under different schedule groups with variations in severity of charge and sentencing.”
K2, when ingested, is reported to mimic the effects of marijuana. Although the packaging from Blue Phoenix was not labeled as K2 or Spice, test results yielded positive for derivatives of the substance that are illegal to possess and/or sell under state law.
The chemical derivatives that make up K2 were deemed illegal during the last legislative session after incidents of hospitalizations and deaths across the nation were directly linked to smoking K2, stated the release. The most-common, lesser reported side effects of K2 include hallucinations, agitation, increase in heart rate/blood pressure, tremors, and vomiting. The drug is known to increase cardiovascular issues because of its high potency and pose life-threatening problems to other areas of the body, according to police.
Copyright © 2013 - Star Local News