DETROIT – Detroit Mayor Dave Bing on Tuesday announced an emergency order banning K2 and other synthetic marijuana-type drugs.
The Emergency Order No. 2012-1 was issued by the city's Department of Health and Wellness Promotion Director and Health Officer Loretta Davis.
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"To anyone distributing K2 or other synthetic marijuana in the City of Detroit to the detriment of our citizens, we have a message for you – we will seize it and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law," Bing said.
At Bing's request, Davis issued the order to "prevent imminent danger to health or lives" after emergency rooms at local hospitals reported seeing an increasing number of synthetic marijuana users poisoned by the drug.
The regional Poison Control Center has also reported a doubling in the rate of cases of city of Detroit residents from 2011 to 2012.
Under the order, anyone in the City of Detroit must immediately cease selling, trading, giving, bartering, serving, providing, or make available any product or substance containing synthetic marijuana. The order also includes a ban on stimulants, known as cathinone or bath salts.
The order is enforceable under state law.
Violators face a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months imprisonment, or a fine of up to $200 or both.