Senate OKs bill targeting K2, spice

LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) - State senators have approved legislation that will outlaw designer drugs known as spice or K2.

The drugs are sold at gas stations and are marked "not for human consumption," but people use them as a substitute for marijuana, and they can be very dangerous.

Some of the drugs have already been outlawed, but tweaking their chemical makeup makes them an entirely new and legal drug.

The bill approved Thursday by the state Senate updates the list of chemical cocktails that are illegal and also empowers local law enforcement to keep up with the ever-changing drug.

Republican Senator Dave Hildenbrand of Lowell sponsored the bill.

"Many of the users are teenagers who do not fully recognize the risks involved with synthetic drugs," said Hildenbrand in a statement. "Producers of synthetic drugs are no different than illegal drug dealers and a clear message has been sent that their behavior will not be tolerated."

The bill now goes to the state House for debate.