W. T. Eckert and Audra Jornov report in the Register Star the sale of synthetic marijuana has been banned by the New York State Health Commissioner. The commissioner issued a press release Thurs., Mar. 29, calling for “sales and distribution of these products to cease immediately!” Anyone caught violating the ban will be referred to the Attorney General for prosecution, and civil penalties will be set by a judge, according to the commissioner. The products, sold as a “legal alternative” to marijuana, have been linked to a variety of side effects, including paranoid behavior, agitation and irritability, nausea and vomiting, confusion, headache and hypertension. Synthetic marijuana is commonly sold in convenience stores, smoke shops and tobacco stores, under a variety of brand names, including, “Mr. Nice Guy,” “Chronic Spice,” “Spice Gold,” “Space Truckin” and “K2." It consists of plant material coated by chemicals that mimic THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Greene County Director of Public Health Marie Cross Ostoyich told the paper her department's "main role, right now, is education and awareness." Columbia County Public Health Department Director Nancy Winch said her department will visit stores throughout the county that carry the product. Read the full story in the Register Star online.