By Marshall Griffin, St. Louis Public Radio
Jefferson City, Mo. – The Missouri House has passed a bill that would outlaw the use of what's sometimes referred to as "fake" marijuana.
The legislation would add synthetic compounds known as K2 to the state's list of controlled substances. K2 is applied to herbs and flowers, and can produce a high when smoked or inhaled.
The bill was sponsored by State Representative Ward Franz (R, West Plains).
"One of our police detectives was telling me of the situation that they were having with individuals using K2 instead of marijuana...I've had reports to where the high is 10 times more (than marijuana)," Franz said.
The bill received strong support from both Democrats and Republicans. It now goes to the Missouri Senate, which gave first-round approval to its version of the K2 ban Tuesday.