AURORA, Colo. — Aurora city leaders are advancing a measure that would ban or enforce rules around selling psychoactive substances like nitrous oxide, poppers, synthetic weed, and mad honey.
“We're seeing an increase in psychosis in youth. Our children in this part of the world have more access to the bad things than the good things to keep them healthy and to help them thrive as adults,” said Maisha Fields, the executive director of the Dayton Street Opportunity Center.
Fields told Denver7 she sees it firsthand. The center is right off E. Colfax Avenue, where she said many of these items are easily accessible.
“It could be Kaboom [Action Strips], it could be Mamba, it could be shrooms, marijuana, alcohol, all of that is widely accessible— but you can't get lunch meat, and that's had a huge effect on our children and the stability of the community,” said Fields.
It’s why Aurora city leaders are advancing a measure that would ban or enforce rules around products like nitrous oxide, synthetic weed, or mad honey, a type of honey that can cause intoxication.
It would also ban the sale of paraphernalia like the rose in a tube products, which are often used as crack pipes..
“We see things like foil, too. We’re really looking for the list of drug paraphernalia and not the stuff that’s legitimate,” explained City of Aurora Manager of Licensing Trevor Vaughn.
The ordinance would align with state law for kratom and hemp by specifying allowed amounts of 7-hydroxy in kratom and THC in hemp products.
City leaders said that these products are currently in a "gray area" with no enforcement.
“We just want to make sure that we don’t have stores essentially taking advantage of loopholes in the laws,” said Aurora City Councilmember Alison Coombs.
Fields said it’s been a long-time problem in the community, and it’s why she will continue to push for the change.
“Everyone deserves a place where they can walk and they can recreate, and they can play and they can work,” she said.
