RICHLAND, Wash.-- The use of synthetic drugs like K2 and Spice continues to grow across the country, prompting the federal government to ban them from being sold. But it hasn't had much of an effect.
A new study shows that more than 11,000 people went to the hospital in 2010 because of synthetic drug use, just one sign of the growing issue.
Washington is one of four states that hasn't outlawed these drugs with legislation. Instead, they ban them with a rule and law enforcement says that puts them in a tough spot.
Synthetic drugs are made up of chemicals and produce similar effects to common drugs like marijuana and cocaine.
Their popularity is growing and the Washington Board of Pharmacy created a rule in 2010 to prevent the sale of such drugs. But there still is no law to enforce the issue.
"A rule an a law are two very different things. One can carry criminal penalties. One can cover some administrative sanctions," said Captain Mike Cobb, Richland Police Department.
Without legislation banning the use of synthetic drugs law enforcement is struggling to crack down on the problem.
"For the enforcement issue, a specific statute with a misdemeanor or a felony penalty, that would be the most effective from an enforcement capacity," Cobb said.
The Board of Pharmacy took emergency action to put a rule in place when the legislature wasn't in session, giving police some type of way to prevent the selling of the drug.
"The Board wanted to make sure that local law enforcement had a tool that would be ready to go and would be in place so they could use it to enforce these laws and try to reduce the amount of products that are out there," said Donn Moyer, Washington State Department of Health.
But a big part of the problem lies in what happens after the drugs get in the hands of people using them.
"People who are using these substances who are committing crimes who are assaulting people, are exhibiting behavior that take law enforcement resources to deal with an also health care resources," Cobb said.
Washington's lawmakers are looking into possible legislation on synthetic drugs that could help law enforcement deal with the drugs on a criminal level.
