What it Looks Like in Tippecanoe County
When spice first hit the market in Tippecanoe County, it was sold legally under various brand names in local convenience stores and tobacco shops. It was marketed as a natural herbal incense or potpurri and labeled, "not for human consumption," although many purchasing it knew that it could be smoked for a high. Brand names included K2, Spice, Dracula, Kryptonite, Black Mamba, Scooby Snacks, etc.
Spice was legal in all 50 states until March 2010, and it was banned in Indiana in July 2011. Tippecanoe County and the cities of Lafayette and West Lafayette had all established ordinances against its sale or possession by October 2010. Gradually after this point, users began purchasing spice the was manufactured locally, often in the home of Tippecanoe County residents. This "homemade" form looks a lot like marijuana and is often similarly packaged in plastic baggies. The smell of spice is however distinct from the smell of marijuana. More recently, with the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes, users can also vape a liquid form of synthetic marijuana, using the e-cigarette to mask that they are using spice.
What Parents Should Know about Spice, aka "Legal" or "Synthetic Marijuana"
For additional information about spice, go to the National Institute on Drug Abuse