Well this couldn't have come at a more opportune time. Today, the Miami-Dade County Commission took the first step towards adopting a strict ban on synthetic marijuana products. It comes hot on the heels of news that a North Miami Beach man on some sort of synthetic drug tried to bite a police officer's hand.
The ban was in the works long before the incident however, and even before speculation that "Miami Zombie" Rudy Eugene was using "bath salts," or synthetic cocaine, a similar product. The small Miami-Dade town of Sweetwater claims to have been the first in the nation to place on outright ban on synthetic marijuana, and a few weeks ago the County announced they'd be looking into passing a similar law.
The measure was moved forward by the commission today with an unanimous 10-0 vote.
The law would ban any loose leaf or granular incense product from being sold in the County, regardless of its chemical makeup.
The State of Florida has already tried to address the growing problem. A law banning certain substances often found in both fake marijuana and cocaine was banned, but chemists who make the drugs were able to substitute the banned substances with other similar chemicals. Even tougher laws are now being considered on the state level.
Under the proposed County law, anyone caught selling or buying synthetic marijuana could face up to a $500 fine or 60 days in jail. A committee of commissioners will now take a closer look at the law before it is brought up again for a final vote.