FORT WORTH, TEXAS—
But for how much longer, he doesn't know."As long as it last, I'll make the money," he said. "But when it's gone, it's gone."
At the urging of concerned parents, several North Texas cities, including Fort Worth and Dallas, are considering or have already approved ordinances that restrict the sale of K2 and other synthetic marijuana products.
Now, Texas legislators are set to ban the product statewide.
"It is clear to me that the consumption of this drug should be illegal," State Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, said. "It is just a matter of how do we get there."
Banning the sale of the synthetic marijuana product could be tricky because there are more than 100 variations of the product, Burnam said. So legislators must carefully draft a bill that bans them all.
"We are just trying to make sure that you've got all the word choice down just right so the vendors just don't move from one variation of the synthetic marijuana to another," he said.
Any ban wouldn't likely take effect until next June, meaning teenagers will still be able to purchase the herbal incense for at least another year.
Burnam said because of the lag, city bans are critical until a statewide ban is in place.
"We have a huge time gap, but it can't be helped," he said. "The municipal governments are our front-line defense."
If Texas bans synthetic marijuana products, they would join several other states, including Arkansas and Missouri, who have banned the product. Similar legislation is pending in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan and Ohio.
Synthetic marijuana products, such as K2, Gonjah and Hush, have been flying off shelves across the nation since 2009, but a national debate has swirled about whether the amped-up herbal incenses are dangerous.
The products, which go for $40 to $50 for three grams, are labeled as incense, but they use a synthetic form of THC, a compound in marijuana, to give smokers the illusion of smoking marijuana.
Nearly every product comes inscribed with the disclaimer, "Not for human consumption."
The chemicals used in the products have been tested in animals, but their effects have not been studied on humans.
Nationwide, doctors have seen a spike in K2-related illnesses as the popularity of herbal incense grows. In Dallas, authorities are investigating whether K2 may have contributed to the death of a 19-year-old Dominique Tate, who died earlier this month.
Burnam said those unknowns could make the imitation more dangerous than the product that it's imitating.
"It is illegal to smoke marijuana, but frankly, I'd rather see a kid smoking marijuana than using this drug," he said. "K2 is extremely dangerous."
Mark Bitten, who created his own blend of synthetic marijuana, said the products aren't as dangerous as portrayed in the media.
He said many items already legally sold are much more dangerous than K2 and other products.
"Cigarettes are already out there," he said. "Cigarettes are way worse than this."
Bitten, who has also tried K2, said parents need to educate themselves and talk with the teenagers about the product.
But a statewide ban on the drug, he said, would be an overreaction.
"The government just needs to put an age limit on it," he said, adding it should be restricted to people over 21.
Alder said he plans to follow whatever laws the state or the city enact, but he hopes that won't be a complete ban of the product.
"If it were up to me, I'd keep it around," he said. "There isn't any reason not too. No one is killing anyone over it."
