$8,000 worth of synthetic drugs seized in Carpentersville

CARPENTERSVILLE - Nearly $8,000 worth of illegal synthetic drugs has been seized from two Carpentersville retailers as a part of a statewide crack down, according to authorities.

Carpentersville police and Illinois attorney general investigators confiscated 448 packages of synthetic drugs Tuesday as a part of Operation Smoked Out, an initiative aimed at eliminating the sale of synthetic drugs at retail stores.

Authorities seized 356 packages from Buddeez Smoke Shop, 3 N. Washington St., and 92 packages from Egors, 2 Wisconsin St., according to the Illinois attorney generals office. The drugs are worth approximately $6,936 and $994, respectively.

Synthetic drug use has grown rapidly in Illinois, particularly among teens and young adults, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a news release. These store visits are part of our ongoing effort to spread awareness about the extreme danger these drugs pose and to send a message to community retailers that these illegal substances have no business being sold in their establishments.

Sold under names such as K2 and Spice Gold, the smokeable herbal products laced with synthetic cannabinoids mimic the high of marijuana with more dangerous side effects, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The five chemicals used to make synthetic marijuana have been banned by the DEA. A new state law that took affect in January made the possession or sale of the products a felony with penalties ranging from 1 to 60 years.

Municipalities have also banned the synthetic drugs through the use of local ordinances. The ordinances generally ban the sale, use and possession of the products commonly sold as incense or potpourri. Those in violation are subject to fines.

The owners of the Carpentersville businesses were not charged or fined, but rather voluntarily turned over the synthetic drugs, Carpentersville Police Chief Alan Popp said.

These were the only two businesses in the village that we were aware of that could possibly be selling these drugs, Popp said. This seems to be an isolated problem, and we are confident that we have attacked the source of our local problem.

Carpentersville does not have a local ordinance banning the sale of synthetic drugs, but is researching the possibility of creating one, Popp added.

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$8,000 worth of synthetic drugs seized in Carpentersville