Why the hubbub over K2 'fake pot'?

K2 has been around for 15 years.

John Huffman, a Clemson University chemist, synthesized a substance he called JWH-018. The chemical was structurally similar to THC, the active ingredient in pot, and apparently quite a bit more potent.

So why the sudden hubbub, especially in the "meth heartland" of the lower Midwest and border states?

Well, the location of much of the hue and cry probably is a partial explainer.

Or, maybe it's just part of the scares over real pot:

Is JWH-018 dangerous? No one really knows. There's not a lot of research on what it does to mice and almost nothing on what it does to humans. Its effects shouldn't be that different from marijuana's, but then, we could argue all day about how dangerous marijuana is. Even researchers who have found that pot use has long-term detrimental effects, like the link to psychosis that was announced earlier this week, tend to qualify their statements by noting that the link is "by no means simple" and arguing that we need a lot more research.

Or, as the story notes, it may be that, being unregulated, who know how JWH-018 for sale is adulterated.

If you're curious, here's the chemical background on JWH-018.

That said, it appears that hysteria will trump actual science-based investigation of just what JWH-018 does and doesn't do to humans. Too bad; I'm sure there are plenty of avid research volunteers ready to sign up.

Beyond the federal DOJ perhaps wanting a look at this, local and state law-enforcement agencies, of course, along with local and state elected officials, haveall the usual reasons to want to criminalize this substance:
1. Looking tough on crime;
2. Money off asset forfeiture seizure sales;
3. Tchotches from asset seizure that law enforcement keeps, rather than sells;
4. Avoiding addressing why people use mood-altering substances, and addressing some of those issues, rather than the surface-level symptoms - in other words, taking the easy way out.