After recent arrest, officials say be on lookout for “spice”

A Russellville man was recently arrested after being tied to the overdose of a student at Deshler High School last week, according to officials.

Arman D. Norris, 18, of Russellville has been charged with attempt to commit a controlled substance crime and conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime, according to officials.

Norris is accused of selling “spice,” a synthetic version of marijuana, to a student at the Colbert County school. That student overdosed and had to be taken to the hospital, according to officials.

Two students at a middle school in Colbert Co. were also hospitalized recently after overdosing on the synthetic drug, according to officials.

So what is spice?

Spice is a synthetic form of marijuana, to a degree, as users smoke it as they would the more popular drug. But spice also contains manmade chemicals that produce mind-altering effects. These chemicals mimic those found in marijuana, but are often much stronger and can be much different, according to officials.

Spice can be found in some retail shops in the U.S. and is often labeled as an incense product.

Although the Drug Enforcement Administration has deemed the drug illegal, manufacturers try to avoid the laws by using different chemicals within the mixture that is produced.

Officials have just begun studying the effects of synthetic marijuana on humans. Some of the chemicals found in spice act similar to those found in natural marijuana, but the severity of the chemical reactions is still mostly unknown. Perhaps most alarming is that the chemical makeup of the drug constantly changes in order for manufacturers to be able to escape laws aimed at banning the substance.