Not one, but three counties take a stand against dangerous synthetic drugs.
Clinton, Gratiot and Montcalm counties, all part of the Mid-Michigan District Health Department, have declared synthetic drugs an "imminent threat."
That means businesses in those counties can no longer sell K2 or bath salts.
Livingston County issued the same order last week and on Wednesday Ionia county asked businesses to stop selling the products.@
Katie Smith hates K2
Katie Smith: "I'm completely against it. I don't like selling it."
But that doesn't mean she wont.
Smith works at the Westside party store in St. Johns where she says they've been selling K2 for 6 months.
Smith: "I probably have anywhere from 10 to 30 customers a night."
Thursday night was no different, even though the emergency health order was issued on Wednesday.
Smith: "My boss just told me that we plan to wait to hear what they say but we plan to have it off the shelf by the end of the month."
Marcus Cheatham, Health Officer: "We don't want to shut anybody down or jail a breadwinner we'd rather just have things.. just have them stop selling it."
The Mid-Michigan District Health Department says it's giving stores some time to comply with the order but if they don't police will come in and take the product.@
Something smith says the store is prepared for.
Smith: "There's nothing we can really do, its the law, so."
But personally, she cant wait to see it go.
Smith: "I would like to see it completely gone."
And so would the district health department.
Cheatham: "Its a pretty serious problem, we've had from 2 to 3 hundred in Michigan emergency room cases of people using synthetic marijuana. Ya know, if we have a chance to save a life-- we wanna do it."
Even if it's only in effect for a few days before the ban-- goes statewide.
Legislation banning synthetic drugs state-wide is currently pending.
If signed, it will take effect July 1st.
