City Councilmen Victor Hernandez will propose a solution to the synthetic marijuana problem at Thursday's city council meeting. We spoke with one Lubbock man who said he used synthetic marijuana and even he thinks a ban is needed.
"I have used synthetic marijuana," the man said. "It's similar to actual marijuana in regards to giving yourself that high that you're looking for. It kind of takes you away from reality,makes you act differently, do things you wouldn't necessarily do. "It can be a bad thing if it's abused."
This Lubbock man didn't want his identity revealed, but he said synthetic marijuana needs to be taken off the shelves.
"When it comes to young kids using it, it can turn into a gateway," the man said. "A lot of these things are picked up in local tobacco shops and I don't think you realize what you're getting yourself into."
Lubbock City Councilman Victor Hernandez will ask the health department at Thursday's city council meeting to conduct a study on synthetic marijuana
He hopes that study will lead to laws against the drugs.
"We need to go ahead and put something in place," Hernandez said. "But the something has to be the right something, and the board of health needs to give us some guidance on that."
Right now it's legal to purchase synthetic marijuana like incense and potpourri and it's readily available in headships across the south plains.
But it becomes illegal the second you smoke it.
"I think with the affects we've seen with synthetic marijuana where young kids are dying, overdosing and being rushed to the emergency room, I think it would be a really good idea to get it off the shelf," the man said.
"The stories I'm hearing is it's not the quote on quote bad kids," Hernandez said. "It's kids across the board and that's the scary part because it very well be one of my kids."
Hernandez is hoping for the ban by either the first or second meeting in February. He said the board of health needs time to conduct their study.
