Report recommends public health initiatives to fight use of synthetics in Houston

A report from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy urges Houston officials to take a broader approach to efforts to curb use of synthetic cannabinoids, a problem that has become visible in many public spaces in the city.

While commending enforcement efforts to crack down on sales of Spice and other synthetic cannabinoids, as well as efforts to combat public intoxication, the report states that public health-focused initiatives could improve use rates that have continued to increase.

“The failures of the war on drugs should serve as a cautionary tale about adhering to a more punitive approach,” wrote report author Katharine Neill, the institute's Alfred C. Glassell III Postdoctoral Fellow in Drug Policy.

Among the recommendations in Fake Weed, Real Consequences: Effective Strategies for Addressing Synthetic Cannabinoids in Houston is a call for a public awareness campaign with community organizations and the diversion of individuals under the influence of synthetic cannabinoids to the Houston Recovery Center.