NEOSHO, Mo. —
A local clergyman told members of the Neosho City Council on Tuesday night that a store on Neosho Boulevard is advertising that it sells “syn.”
The Rev. James Lowans, director of Teen Challenge Neosho, was referring to sales of synthetic marijuana. He said the problem in the community has “gotten worse, not better.”
Lowans said several stores in town sell synthetic marijuana despite the health hazards it may pose to those who smoke it.
“The fact of the matter is that the owners of these stores that are selling these synthetics do not know what the compounds are that are inside,” he said.
Lowans said store owners are not the only ones who are unsure of the substance’s contents. The authorities do not know either, and that makes it difficult to prosecute offenders, he said.
“I understand from talking to the district attorney that it is very difficult to prosecute these cases, but I think there are things the City Council could do when it comes to licensing these stores,” he said.
After the meeting, police Chief Dave McCracken said the danger is that users don’t know what ingredients they are putting into their bodies. He said the substance is not tested by the Food and Drug Administration. He said it has been linked to one death in the community, a 22-year-old man who was found to have traces of synthetic marijuana in his system.
“Every product is different,” McCracken said. “We don’t know what they’re putting into their body when they do it. The various different substances, some of them cause dizziness, or heart issues and respiratory issues that we have experienced, but some of them do not. You take your chances when you use this stuff as to what the end result will be.”
City Attorney Steve Hays told Lowans that the state Legislature last year outlawed the synthetic marijuana products K2 and K3 and synthetic cocaine, known as bath salts, but that has not stopped similar products from appearing on shelves.
“There are 19 metabolites that the Legislature has made illegal,” Hays said. “Those were present in what was known as K2. Probably within a week or two of K2 becoming illegal, other products were out containing metabolites that were not illegal. This is an issue across the nation. The trouble is there is a lot of money in it, and when the Legislature acts to make it illegal, the people who make it switch up the ingredients to skirt the law.”
“The city by ordinance cannot do anything to regulate the sale of that material,” Mayor Richard Davidson said after the meeting. “The discussion tonight indicates that we’re still open to any way to fix this problem and reduce the impact of this drug on our community, but as of today I’m not saying there is anything that we can do.”
Other business
IN OTHER BUSINESS, the council accepted a bid of $38,000 from Swift Construction for resurfacing work on Waldo Hatler Drive east of Carver Elementary School. The council also approved the purchase of a new asphalt roller and trailer for $41,137.
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