The downtown Green Bay smoke shop Imports Plus has been closed until further notice after authorities found synthetic marijuana during a raid. On Sept. 10, officers raided the Broadway street shop and arrested owner Michael Denis and clerk Amy Richards after recovering more than 1,300 grams of the hallucinogenic as well as numerous drug paraphernalia items. Both Denis and Richards have been charged with two counts of possession of an illegal non-narcotic drug and may each face a fine of up to $10,000 and up to six years in prison.
For the Broadway Street businesses, the raid caught both employees and patrons completely off-guard. DuBois Formal Wear store manager Aaron Alexander knew something was amiss when he saw officers swarming their across-the-street neighbors. “When I looked outside, there were bunch of flashing lights and police officers coming in and out of the shop,” Alexander said. “There were on-lookers from everywhere walking out into the street to get a look at what was going on out there. It was certainly something you don’t see every day.”
Broadway district promotional business, On Broadway, Inc., was dismayed to learn about a drug raid at one of their featured businesses. Executive director, Christopher Naumann says that the events involving Imports Plus has put On Broadway, Inc. in a tough position. “It’s all very disappointing to us at On Broadway, Inc.,” Naumann said. “We’re an organization that promotes responsible business in the Broadway district, and to have something like this happen is just very upsetting.” Prior to the raids, On Broadway, Inc. had a brief promotional page for the small smoke shop, announcing their support for the bohemian and hippie cultures.
And although Naumann was not well acquainted with either Denis or Richards, he says that this situation will take a toll on any promoting his organization does for Imports Plus. “My organization promotes the Broadway district as a whole and although we didn’t have much interaction with Imports Plus, we certainly aren’t going to be promoting them much more,” said Naumann. “At this point, we’re just waiting to see what’s going to happen with the store since it has been locked up since the police raid.” On June 24, 2011, Gov. Scott Walker signed Act 31 into law which officially made the manufacturing, distribution and delivery of synthetic cannabinoids a felony offense.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the drug was invented in the early 1990s by John Huffman for research purposes only and was never originally intended for recreational usage. Under the street names “K2” and “Spice”, it was eventually sold at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops, in Wisconsin until 2011. And unlike many other smoking products, there was no age limit to purchase synthetic marijuana. The general process for creating synthetic marijuana involves coating herbs or plants with special pesticide-like chemicals for the hallucinogenic effects when smoked.
The drug mimics the effects of authentic marijuana, without containing Tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC, the chemical in marijuana that causes hallucinations. UW-Green Bay’s chief of public safety, and 30 year Marathon county drug unit veteran, Tom Kujawa, says that synthetic marijuana caused quite a stir when it began appearing in Wisconsin. “When this all began, it was complicated because this stuff wasn’t marijuana and it wasn’t THC but had a lot of the same effects,” Kujawa said. “A lot of communities began independently banning it and when Scott Walker made it illegal, it settled the debate our state was having on how to deal with it.”
Although synthetic marijuana is not botanically related authentic marijuana, its chemical structure is similar, which causes the drug to replicate the hallucinogenic traits of THC. Those smoking synthetic marijuana may cause mild physical effects such as elevated heart rate and vomiting to serious side effects like skyrocketing blood pressure, seizures and extreme paranoia. For those who doubt serious side effects can happen to them, Kujawa says that the uncertainty is too much to risk. “I met someone who started having seizures right after she started taking these drugs, and when I ran into her 15 years later she was still having them,” Kujawa said.
“The feeling may be pleasant at first, but considering the potential dangers to your mind, your body and brain it needs to be avoided. These drugs can even damage the DNA in your reproductive cells which be harmful to any children you have.” Kujawa adds that if the mental and physical complications aren’t enough to steer people away from the job, the legal consequences of being involved with the drug may be overwhelming. “For students, a conviction means you can have any financial aid or scholarships pulled and problems finding a job once you graduate since you have a criminal record,” Kujawa said.
“It impacts your ability to reach for everything you can, and all of you UWGB students are here to accomplish a lot. Plus, there are too many other ways to have fun in life that don’t involve drugs.” Although, Kujawa adds that consequences for possessing, using or distributing drugs may feel unfair to some who wish to use it, he says that the banning of the drug is entirely for the public’s well-being. “When I look at you guys, you are the future,” Kujawa said. “You’ll become our nurses, accountants, social worker, doctors and teachers of the future and we just want the best for all of you.”
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