Synthetic pot peril.

• Position: TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS

Synthetic cannabinoids--commonly known as "Spice," "K2" "Genie," "Yucatan Fire," "Sence," "Smoke," "Skunk" and "Zohai"--have become a popular legal alternative to marijuana. Until now, that is. At least ten states outlawed the drug this year.

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The drug is sprayed onto dried herbs, marketed as "novelty herbal incense" or potpourri, and then smoked or ingested by consumers. It produces a high similar to marijuana and is sold in local convenience stores and over the Web. Although the product labels often read "not for human consumption," abuse of these substances appears to be increasing. The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports that, as of Sept. 27, more than 1,503 calls have been made to poison centers for symptoms such as racing heartbeat, elevated blood pressure and nausea. This is up from a total of only 14 calls in 2009.

There also have been reports linking use of these drugs to hallucinations, seizures and even death. After a Minnesota teenager ended up in the hospital from using K2, Minnesota Senator Kathy Sieben announced plans to introduce legislation next session. She says protecting kids by...