Texas Department of Public Safety issued the following information Thursday, April 28, 2011:

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under its emergency rule-making authority added five chemicals to the list of Schedule I Controlled Substances under federal law.  These are the ones commonly known as “K2”, “Spice” and etc.  As a result the commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services was required by Section 481.034(g), Health & Safety Code, to add those substances to the corresponding Texas Schedule of Controlled Substances.

The State ban became effective April 22, 2011.  It is now illegal to knowingly manufacture, deliver, or possess with intent to deliver any of these five substances (Class A) or knowingly or intentionally possess any of the five substances (Class B).  The applicable offense is found in Section 481.119, Health and Safety Code.

Editor’s note:  The City of Brownwood adopted an ordinance on November 24, 2010 banning these substances.  With its passage, Brownwood joined the other Big Country cities of Eastland, Sweetwater, Winters, Breckenridge and Early in banning the substance K-2 with an official ordinance of prohibition.