SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) - A federal grand jury has returned indictments against 21 people who owned or operated 13 retail outlets and other southwest Missouri businesses for selling synthetic marijuana.
The indictments were unsealed Friday after the arrests and initial court appearances by several of the defendants. They are accused of distributing K2, a synthetic cannabinoid product that mimics the effect of marijuana but in a much more intense way.
The products are a mixture of plant material that has been sprayed or mixed with a chemical compound similar to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. K2 and similar synthetic drugs usually are labeled as "incense" that is not intended for human consumption.
Prosecutors say the indictments are the result of a large-scale investigation by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
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