NY Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Alleged K2 Distributors
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Action is being taken against alleged distributors of synthetic marijuana and other designer drugs in New York.
State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said he has filed lawsuits against two companies -- the Liquid Glass Shop in Nyack and Erie County-based online realtor Surrealistic Sensations.
Schneiderman alleges both sell hallucinogenic and psychotropic alternatives to illegal street drugs and promote them as "legal highs'' in online and store sales but have inadequate label information about ingredients, correct usage or health warnings.
The suits allege the labels are deceptive and the drugs are dangerous.
"It is designed to look like a health food product," Schneiderman said. "It is designed to send the message that it's good for you, that it's sort of like an herbal remedy."
"Designer drugs mimic the effects of street drugs, and in many cases, designer drugs are more dangerous than actual street drugs," Schneiderman said. "Because as dangerous as street drugs are, if you show up in an emergency room and you've overdosed on heroin or cocaine, doctors at least know what the drug is; they know what the protocols are."
Just this summer, Schneiderman said New York state experienced a tenfold increase in emergency room visits and calls to the poison control center related to synthetic marijuana or designer drug use, WCBS 880's Kelly Waldron reported.
Sen. Jeff Klein said 700 people were admitted to emergency rooms in three hospitals in Bronx County alone. The area has gotten the dubious distinction of being the epicenter for synthetic marijuana, or synthetic marijuana, .
"We have to K.O. K2 from upstate to downstate," Klein said.
A judge in the Bronx has issued a restraining order against Surrealistic Sensations, barring sales of allegedly misbranded designer drugs.
This is the latest move in the ongoing war on synthetic marijuana, also known as K2. Last Wednesday, the New York City Council passed three bills to stop the sale of the drug and help police in their efforts to stop its use.
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