OGDEN -- It may be legal, but Weber School District won't be allowing Black Mamba on school grounds.
After seeing an increase in usage by students, the district recently issued a notice to parents informing them, if students are caught with the legal incense, which can give a user a high similar to marijuana when smoked, they will be disciplined in the same manner as if they brought any other drug onto school property.
"There has been an outbreak not only in our schools, but in the state and the nation as a whole," district spokesman Nate Taggart said Tuesday.
"There are a lot of kids that don't understand the danger about it, and lots of parents that know nothing about it."
The notice informed parents that the drug, which is called by many names, including Black Mamba, Spice, Dragon and Bombay Blue, is considered an "imitation controlled substance" and will not be allowed to be carried, used, distributed or sold on school property.
The product, which is sold as an incense in tobacco and convenience stores, contains mostly damiana, a shrub with small, yellow flowers that grows in dry, rocky climates. It has a reputation as a relaxant and an aphrodisiac, and can give a high very similar to marijuana if smoked or consumed as tea.
The incense is legal and will not show up on a drug test.
Donna Corby, spokeswoman for Ogden City School District, said she has not heard about students in her district using the product. "My secondary school principals have not said anything about that particular substance."
Corby said while she hasn't heard of increased usage, the district will have to consider the incense in a drug-testing policy under consideration for students who participate in extracurricular activities.
Taggart said the district's goal is to inform parents about the incense, and to inform them that students will be disciplined in a similar way as if they had any other drug or alcohol on school property.
"Most parents know nothing about it," he said. "We want to make them aware that it is out there, that we've seen an increase, and it's a violation of our school policy."
Information about Black Mamba use in the Davis School District was not immediately available from school officials Tuesday.
Schools aren't the only places that people can suffer consequences for smoking damiana.
Ogden Police Lt. Dave Tarran said an officer could arrest or cite a motorist for driving under the influence of the incense, even though the product is legal.
"We can cite them for being under the influence, but the difficulty would be showing what they are under the influence of," he said.
Tarran said that while officers can do a Breathalyzer test and a blood draw, that will detect only alcohol or illegal substances -- not damiana. This would make it extremely difficult for law enforcement to prove in court that the driver was under its influence.
"When it's not an illegal substance, it becomes difficult, but not impossible," he said. "It would be left up to prosecuting attorneys."
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