Colusa Municipal Code Art. I Psychoactive Bath Salts and Psychoactive Herbal Incense and other Synthetic…

The purpose and intent of this article is to address the dangers to the community posed by the distribution, use, purchase or advertisement of psychoactive bath salts, psychoactive herbal incense, and similar products, and to provide the city with reasonable measures to abate the public nuisance created by such conduct.

(Ord. No. 480, § II, 7-17-2012)

(a) "Advertising" means printed matter that calls the public's attention to things for sale.

(b) "Distribute," "distributing" or "distribution" means and covers the following activity: to offer for sale, distribute, furnish, gift, transfer, exchange or give, to any person and each transaction of those natures made by any person, whether as principal, proprietor, agent, servant, or employee.

(c) "Person" means any individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other entity responsible for "distributing" psychoactive bath salts and psychoactive herbal incense.

(d) "Possession" means having for use or sale in one's actual or constructive custody and/or control, and/or under one's authority or power, whether such custody, control, authority and/or power be exercised solely or jointly with others.

(e) "Psychoactive bath salts" are defined as follows:

(1) Any crystalline or powder product that contains a synthetic chemical compound that elicits psychoactive or psychotropic stimulant effects including, but not limited to, the following substances: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethcathinone (Methylone), 3,4-Methyenedioxypyrovalerone(MDPV), 4-Methylmethcathinone (Mephedrone), 4-Methoxymethcathinone (Methedrone, 4-Fluoromethcathinone (Flephedrone), 3-Fluoromethcathinone (3-FMC), naphthylpyrovalerone and 2-amino-1-phenyl-1-propanone (cathinone) or any derivatives, synthetic substances and their isomers with similar chemical structure or any chemical alteration of these compounds which exhibit the same effects and/or any other substantially similar chemical structure or compound.

(2) Psychoactive bath salts are commonly marketed under the following trade names: Bliss, Blizzard, Blue Silk, Bonzai Grow, Charge Plus, Charlie, Cloud Nine, Euphoria, Hurricane, Ivory Snow, Ivory Wave, Lunar Wave, Ocean, Ocean Burst, Pixie Dust, Posh, Pure Ivory, Purple Wave, Red Dove, Scarface, Snow Leopard, Stardust, Vanilla Sky, White Dove, White Night and White Lightning but may be marketed under other trade names and contain a common disclaimer that these products are "not safe for human consumption."

(3) Psychoactive bath salts do not include normal, standard bath salts that do not contain synthetic chemical compounds such as those listed above that elicit psychoactive or psychotropic stimulant effects. Standard bath salts primarily contain magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts), sodium chloride (table salt), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium hexametaphosphate (Calgon, amorphous/glassy sodium metaphosphate), sodium sesquicarbonate and borax.

(f) "Psychoactive herbal incense" is defined as follows:

(1) Any organic product consisting of plant material that contains a synthetic chemical compound that elicits psychoactive or psychotropic euphoric effects including but not limited to the following: any synthetic cannabinoid compound that contains 1-pentyl-3-(1-naphthoyl) indole (JWH-018), 1-butyl-3-(1- naphthoyl) indole (JWH-073), 1-2-(4-morpholinyl) ethyl]-3-(1-naphthoyl) indole (JWH-200), 5-(1,1-dimetheylheptyl)-2-(1R, 3S)-3-hydroxycyclohexyl]-phenol, (CP-47, 497), 5-)1,1-dimethyloctyl)-2-(1R, 3S)-3-hydroxycyclohexyl]-phenol, (cannabicyclohexanol; CP-47, 497 C8 homologue) or any derivatives, synthetic substances and their isomers with similar chemical structure or any chemical alteration of these compounds which exhibit the same effects and/or any other substantially similar chemical structure or compound.

(2) Psychoactive herbal incense products are commonly marketed under the following names: K2, K3, Spice, Genie, Smoke, Pot-Pourri, Buzz, Spice 99, Voodoo, Pulse, Hush, Mystery, Earthquake, Black Mamba, Stinger, Ocean Blue, Stinger, Serenity, Fake Weed, Black Mamba, but may be marketed under other trade names and may contain a common disclaimer that these products are "not safe for human consumption."

(3) Psychoactive herbal incense does not include normal, standard incense that are sold as incense sticks, oils or cones that are commonly used for their aromatic qualities that do not contain any synthetic chemical compounds listed above that elicit psychoactive or psychotropic euphoric effects.

(Ord. No. 480, § II, 7-17-2012)

It is unlawful for any person to possess any synthetic cannabinoid or substituted cathinones within the City of Colusa.

(Ord. No. 480, § II, 7-17-2012)

(a) It is a public nuisance for any person to distribute psychoactive bath salts and psychoactive herbal incense within the City of Colusa.

(b) It is a public nuisance for any person to distribute any product or substance represented as or designed to resemble psychoactive bath salts and psychoactive herbal incense within the City of Colusa. Indications of distribution of substances represented as or designed to resemble psychoactive bath salts and psychoactive herbal incense shall include, without limitation, one or more of the following: the manner in which such substances are packaged, branded, described, marketed and/or portioned.

(c) It is a public nuisance for any person to allow the distribution of psychoactive bath salts and psychoactive herbal incense on property owned, controlled or managed by such person within the City of Colusa.

(d) Merely disclaiming these products as "not safe for human consumption" will not avoid the application of this article.

(e) These declarations of public nuisance are based upon the declaration, findings and determinations by the city council contained in the ordinance from which this chapter is derived.

(Ord. No. 480, § II, 7-17-2012)

(a) Violation of any provision of this chapter or failure to comply with any requirement of this chapter shall be punishable in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 12B or Chapter 12C of the Colusa City Code. At the discretion of the prosecutor, a violation of this chapter may be charged as a misdemeanor.

(b) Civil Action. In addition to any other remedies provided in this chapter, any violation of this chapter may be enforced by civil action brought by the city. The city attorney may file a civil action seeking an injunction to obtain compliance for abatement of this public nuisance, and any other civil action that the city attorney deems appropriate for the abatement, including but not limited to, seeking an abatement order or warrant to confiscate the psychoactive bath salts or psychoactive herbal incense.

(c) Administrative Citation. Alternatively, any violation of this chapter may be enforced by administrative action brought by the city pursuant to Chapter 12C of this Code, to include civil fines not exceeding one thousand dollars per offense and per occurrence.

(Ord. No. 480, § II, 7-17-2012)

This chapter shall not apply to drugs or substances lawfully prescribed or to intoxicating chemical compounds which have been approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration or which are specifically permitted by California law.

(Ord. No. 480, § II, 7-17-2012)