Politics & Government

Windham Seeking Synthetic Marijuana Ban

Selectman Bruce Breton said the product has trickled into at least one town store.

At least one convenience store in Windham was found selling a brand of legal synthetic marijuana last week, a product that Selectman chairman Bruce Breton said has trickled up from Salem.

Breton did not want to identify the store, but said that he told the owner that they should maybe check with police chief Gerald Lewis to see if it was something they wanted to carry at the store.

When he stopped into the establishment, there was a big display of the product.

Find out what's happening in Windhamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Lewis has since been contacted directly by Breton about the synthetic marijuana, which Breton said does not have FDA approval.

"Fortunately the chief has a good working relationship with businessmen in town that own the convenience stores," Breton said. "We all know who they are. Hopefully they will probably ban (the product) themselves in Windham."

Find out what's happening in Windhamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to the website Drug Rehab.us, synthetic marijuana has been available in the U.S. since 2006 and is sold under brand names such as K2, Spice, Black Mamba, Blaze, and Red X Dawn.

"Synthetic marijuana was sold at tobacco shops and gas stations, and was marketed as tea, incense, or herbs," according to the site. "The herbs were sprayed with chemicals that mimic the psychoactive properties of THC. Unlike marijuana, though, fake pot cannot be combined with alcohol without making the person extremely ill."

Breton said that Lewis will be following up next Monday.

The gears are also in motion with two local state representatives, Charles McMahon, R-Windham, and Ronald Belanger, R-Salem to try to expediate legislation on a future agenda in Concord.

Breton voiced concern about Windham becoming known for selling what he called a "toxic substance," which he said Salem has been selling for the last six or seven weeks.

"If used wrong, it can be very, very bad for the person that uses it," he said.

during a March 28 Board of Selectmen meeting in Salem.


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