New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania are considering similar legislation, and at least 10 other states already outlaw the synthetic blend of chemically treated, smokable leaves, the Dayton Daily News reported Tuesday.
Ruhl, a Republican from Mount Vernon, says Spice is dangerous and has made some high school students from her area and many others ill.
"It gives you the same high as marijuana, but it's more addictive," she said.
Spice is marketed as an incense and all products contain a warning label that reads, "not for human consumption," but advocates say it is a harmless and sensible marijuana alternative.
Justin Fox, 24, of Miamisburg, said he began smoking synthetic marijuana three years ago while in the military because it did not show up in drug tests. Highs produced by Spice and other herbal-incense products are not as incapacitating as those from marijuana, Fox said.
"With the Spice products, it's really light, like smoking a light cigarette - you don't get the coughing and you get a clear mind," Fox said.
When smoked, the synthetic marijuana stimulates the same receptors in the brain as organic marijuana and produces a similar high, said Dr. Marcel Casavant, medical director of the Central Ohio Poison Center. Unlike marijuana, it can make people very ill with symptoms including high blood pressure, racing heartbeat and nausea, he said.
"It is a dangerous product that is hurting people," Casavant said.
Doug Aytes, 18, of Brookville, said he smokes a few grams of Spice daily. A gram costs about $15, the newspaper reported.
"It was a beautiful thing people invented, and I think if somebody is trying to take it away from us, it's just terrible," Aytes said.
