On Wednesday, February 29, 2012, Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced an Order that banned the manufacture, distribution, sale, and possession of any of the hundreds of variants of dangerous, manmade chemicals designed to mimic the effects of marijuana, commonly known as “synthetic marijuana,” “K2,” or “Spice.”
The Attorney General provided a 10 day grace period for people to surrender the drugs to law enforcement. Individuals who voluntarily surrender designer drugs to law enforcement within the next 10 days – by 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 9, 2012 – will not face criminal charges. The announcement is intended to encourage individuals and retailers to immediately hand over the drugs to their nearest State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency.
The Order makes these drugs fall into a list of Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substances in New Jersey. The drugs are now subject to the highest level of State control. The manufacture, distribution, sale, or possession of these chemicals is now a third-degree crime. Violators may be subject to a fine of up to $25,000 and imprisonment for a three- to five-year term.
