Spice Leads to Serious Criminal and Civil Penalties

By Emily Kelley, Esq.

Over the past several years, there has been an increase in media attention with regard to “Spice,” also known as “synthetic marijuana” or “K2.” [1] [2] Just recently, the Colorado Attorney General secured a $1 million civil penalty against a Colorado Springs convenience store that illegally sold Spice. [3] So what is Spice? And why is it a big deal? Spice is often advertised as being similar to marijuana, but rather it’s a leafy substance that is chemically coated to have a psychoactive effect. [4] It is illegal both federally [5] and in the state of Colorado (see C.R.S. §§ 18-18-102, 18-18-406.1, and 18-18-406.2), which may seem counterintuitive since the passing of Amendment 64 legalizing the recreational use of marijuana (with regulations). Over the past several years, Colorado has seen an increase crackdown on Spice, which from packaging, can look innocent enough. [6] The penalties for possession, manufacture, or distribution of Spice are very serious and those involved can face huge criminal and civil penalties. If you or your company is accused of possession, manufacture or distribution of Spice or other designer drug charges, please call the criminal and civil practice groups of Cantafio & Song PLLC, who can help protect your interests. Contact our expert Criminal Law Group to assist you in your defense, at 1-(888) 458-0991.