MO: K2 incense provides high for some, scare for others

It knocked a Polk County teenager unconscious for five hours, but those who sell it say it's mild and safe. It's a new product called K2, and it's supposed to produce a high similar to marijuana, but the teen we talked to got more than he bargained for.

K2 is something 14 year old Tyler Hartman heard about from his friends. "They'd all tried it- didn't kill them, so I just decided to try it," Tyler says.

He was at a friend's house Tuesday in Fair Play. "Kinda just like sat there, and the room span a little, and that's really all that I remember," says Tyler.

Then, his family got the scary phone call. Tyler had vomited, suffered seizures, and even quit breathing. "The EMTs had drug him out of this house on a gurney," says James Hartman, Tyler's father.

Tyler spent the night in ICU and remained unconscious for five hours, while his family waited and worried. "They did blood work, and they done a drug test, and everything came back negative," says James.

Thankfully, he came out of it. "I was waking up, and was just in a room looking around, and then I seen a bunch of doctors walking around, so I'm like- oh. Wow," Tyler says.

Incense and Peppermints in Springfield also sells the blend of botanicals, extracts and herbs. "We make in-house candles, incense is made in house," says Pamela Samson.

"K2 is made to be a potpourri or an incense and it can be burned like any other incense in a small burner, but some people are choosing to smoke it. Tyler says he took just one hit. "It depends on how a person wants to use their incense," says Samson.

Samson says she's been carrying K2 for about six weeks, and it's become popular, even recommended. "A lot of my customers have come in and told me that their doctors have sent them in here for pain- fibromyalgia, or if they're having chemotherapy treatment, they can come get it for nausea, and I really feel good about that," says Samson.

But Tyler has a different opinion. "Not to do it. It's not really a very intelligent choice," Tyler says.

Of course, Tyler's parents think the stuff should be illegal. But right now it's not, and the two stores we contacted will continue to carry K2. We spoke with Springfield Police, and they tell us Greene County has sent some to the state crime lab to have it analyzed. Police tell us it does not contain THC, like marijuana, and therefore, does not qualify as criminal.

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Editors note: looks like another B.S scare story, there are so many plants in nature which are psychoactive, its part of the growth and development of certain plants and nature as a whole, not to mention getting high is a completely natural part of the development of humans as a species and as a civilization - what, are they gunna outlaw more plants? - like Ian Malcolm once said - "nature will find a way..."

even tho i doubt it was the k2 that knocked him unconcious - perfectly legal Alcohol knocked this teenager into a coma for 5 weeks before he died...

Death of boy in alcoholic coma brings calls for law changes | World news | The Guardian
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I sorta wonder if this kid is epileptic... some of the symptoms described sound more like a form a epilepsy than anything else - the loss of memory, the vomiting, the blacking out, the room "spinning" before he blacked out (an aura?), etc.