Morro Bay bans synthetic drugs like bath salts, spice

Morro Bay’s City Council voted 5-0 Tuesday night to implement a ban on possessing synthetic drugs such as bath salts and spice.

The council approved the first reading of an ordinance that would prohibit several drugs chemically altered to skirt banned substance laws.

Those include substances such as bath salts, psychoactive herbal incense, salvia and spice (also referred to as K-2) that have caused reactions such as hallucinations, agitation, psychosis and aggression.

The detailed specific chemical compounds are listed in the proposed ordinance, which is expected to be formalized at the next council meeting.

Failure to comply with the law could result in a misdemeanor punishment of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

An Oct. 25 crash on Highway 1 near Cayucos killed two people and injured two others, all with family ties to Morro Bay and Los Osos.

Police say the driver, who has been charged with four felonies, was under the influence of spice at the time. The case is pending in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court.

This story was originally published April 29, 2015 at 3:25 PM with the headline "Morro Bay bans synthetic drugs like bath salts, spice."