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Protesters: Stop selling designer drugs
Protest held in front of AJ's Grocery and Liquor
Updated: Friday, 01 Jun 2012, 11:32 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 01 Jun 2012, 4:47 PM EDT
ZEELAND, Mich. (WOOD) - Parents, police officers, and school administrators in Zeeland came together to protest the selling of designer drugs.
The protest was held in front of AJ's Grocery and Liquor in Zeeland, which sells designer drugs such as spice and incense blends.
"I would love to see them shut down, it's like 'stop', you have children too. Do you really want it in their hands?" said grandparent Pauline Spencer.
Dwayne Boyd said spice sent his daughter to prison.
"It made her angry...rebellious," said Boyd. "It made her do things we never thought she would do."
AJ Sehgal, who owns AJ's Grocery and Liquor, told 24 Hour News 8 he plans to stop selling the synthetic drugs at his Zeeland store next week, but that didn't stop the protest.
"But you're in our community, so if you really want to stop you'll stop today. Not Wednesday, not Monday, today. If it's in your heart," said Boyd.
Protesters are also circulating a petition to get AJ's to stop selling designer drugs.
Protests against the selling of designer drugs also took place on the southeast side of the state on Friday.
Top elected officials in Oakland County are asking gas stations, convenience stores and other retailers to cease the sale of synthetic marijuana, including Spice and K2.
The county says Friday in a release that Executive L. Brooks Patterson and Sheriff Michael Bouchard says participants will get window decals to show "their store as a place for customers to shop safe" from the substances.
Officials say synthetic marijuana is sold as incense or potpourri and is a mixture of herbs and spices. Some are sold as Spice Gold, Spice Silver, Spice Diamond, Fire & Ice, Yucatan Fire, Genie, Pep Spice and Blue Lotus.
The state House approved bills two years ago aimed at cracking down on K2.
Currently, Sen. Rick Jones is pushing legislation through Congress to give the Michigan Department of Community Health the power to immediately outlaw any drug they deem dangerous. He feels this is the best way to keep designer/synthetic drugs out of people's hands.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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