WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. -- The Department of Public Health in Wayne County, Mich., issued an “imminent danger order” this past week, ordering retailers in the 42 Wayne County communities outside of Detroit to immediately “cease selling, trading, giving, bartering, serving, providing or otherwise making available” synthetic marijuana such as the Cloud 9 and Hookah Relax brands that have raised continued health concerns throughout the community.
These products have been commonly sold as incense, in liquid forms, and as bath salts at gas stations and convenience stores.
Citing “serious and life-threatening health risks,” the county’s environmental health staff also is conducting random inspections of area retailers that sell tobacco products. “Businesses selling these substances will be immediately ordered to stop selling the products and could face legal action,” county officials said.
Both “controlled substances” were previously banned by Wayne County in an emergency imminent-public-health order issued on June 5, 2012. The current order reinforces the 2012 ban involving the sale of illegal substances, commonly referred to as synthetic marijuana, or K2, Spice and bath salts.
“Wayne County is again issuing an imminent-danger order to proactively protect the health of residents and warn them of the continued, serious and life-threatening health risks posed by the use of different forms of synthetic marijuana,” said Wayne County executive Robert Ficano.
Such substances have been linked to drug overdoses and reactions that include permanent, serious psychological and physical effects, even death, according to the statement.
“Due to recent, local reports of increased incidences of psychotic episodes with these two specific products, this order is being issued for the health and well-being of the community and Wayne County residents,” said Dr. Mouhanad Hammami, health officer/chief of health operations, Wayne County Department of Health and Human Services. “We are also working from a public-health perspective to increase public awareness to curb the use and sale of these controlled substances.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration has classified synthetic cannabinoids of this type into the Schedule I category of drugs. Schedule 1 drugs have the following characteristics:
- The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
- The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
- There is a lack of acceptable safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.
Since the Sept. 24 issuance of the order, police made unannounced inspections of dozens of convenience stores and other retailers throughout the area and found bath salts in only one store, according to local newspaper reports.
Cloud 9 was reported to have been taken by two Westland, Mich., high school students last week. Both ended up hospitalized. Four students were reportedly made ill by the substance in Canton, Mich., previously.
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