Senate Passes K2 Ban

The Senate today approved SB 331 by Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, which would ban the substance known as K2, a type of incense that mimics marijuana when smoked. 

Shapiro said it is critical that Texas join 16 other states that have banned the substance. Even Dr. John Huffman, an organic chemistry professor at Clemson University who created K2, said using the drug was "like playing Russian roulette," Shapiro told the Senate.

Though it is technically considered an incense, K2 is widely used as a substitute for marijuana, because it is sprayed with a chemical that is similar to the active ingredient in marijuana. The use of K2 has become increasingly popular over the last few years, and cities across the state have banned the sale of it.

"We don't know what it can do," Shapiro said, adding that cannabinoids like K2 can have effects worse than the drug they mimic.