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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - Recently, the Department of Defense, Marine Corps and civilian law enforcement agencies have actively sought to headoff the increasingly popular use of artificial marijuana products.
The new drugs, commonly known as “spice,” use synthetic chemicals to mimic the effects of Tetrahydrocannabinol, the active component in marijuana.
Since then the Marine Corps banned spice more than a year ago, the rest of the nation has gradually echoed efforts to control the drug.
Over the past year, 15 states have enacted legislation that outlaws spice, but the most direct action came recently at the federal level.
In a Nov. 24 statement, the Drug Enforcement Agency announced its intent to control five chemicals common in the production of spice.
The Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 affords the DEA the authority to control an abused, non-medical substance in order to avoid an imminent public health crisis, the DEA said in the statement.
“We’ve received enough outcries recently from hospitals, state governments and from the military to make us very concerned,” said Rusty Payne, a spokesperson for the DEA. “It’s our duty to protect the public when we see something that threatens its safety and well being.”
“The use of spice thwarts Marines’ decision-making ability and their ability to do their job,” said Maj. Terrence E. Fox, the provost marshal for Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.
Payne said spice’s popularity was owed to its availability at gas stations and convenience stores across the U.S. and because it does not currently appear on urinalyses.
The new course of action by the DEA, which Payne expects to take effect by the first week of January, stands to substantially curb availability of the synthetic substance.
Fox said that will give the Provost Marshal’s Office more horsepower in the fight to eliminate this drug from the Marine Corps’ ranks.
“We’re fighting this with more community policing,” Fox said. “We’re in the barracks more, we’re utilizing more walking posts and we’re using dogs more. These things will serve as a deterrent to anyone who may be considering the use of these drugs.”
Leaders in the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing also expressed pleasure with the DEA’s action.
“Spice is a hallucinogenic and it’s outlawed,” Sgt. Maj. Susan M. Bellis said straightforwardly. “Not only in the Marine Corps, but now the DEA is following suit.”
Bellis, the sergeant major for 2nd MAW, said Marines who choose to use spice or any other synthetic drug undermine the Marine Corps mission.
“They’re choosing to do what they know is wrong over the welfare of themselves, their families and the Corps,” Bellis said. “It’s a violation of Article 92 [of the Uniform Code of Military Justice] and it will not be tolerated.”
Bellis said when a Marine is found to have smoked or be in the possession of spice they must then be processed for discharge, which unnecessarily strains the entire Marine Corps because it increases the workload for the other Marines in the unit.
“That put’s a rock in someone else’s pack – we have enough rocks in our packs,” Bellis said. “It’s not that hard to be a good Marine, and we cannot afford this.”
Fox said the use of spice and other drugs stands at odds with what it means to be a good Marine.
“By using spice, Marines are saying they choose not to live up to our standards of honor, courage and commitment,” Fox said.
| Date Taken: | 12.23.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 12.23.2010 10:06 |
| Story ID: | 62536 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 137 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Federal drug control helps Marine Corps combat ‘spice’, by Brian Adam Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
