It has been one year since the state of Illinois has outlawed synthetic marijuana use. Even though people can face drug charges if caught using synthetic marijuana, access to the synthetic drug continues, especially in down state in Illinois.

According to Illinois's Attorney General, many people throughout the state are showing up in emergency rooms with severe reactions to synthetic marijuana. The Attorney General said using synthetic marijuana is like playing Russian Roulette with your body.

Recently state law enforcement personnel have been conducting undercover busts of the synthetic drug around the state. According to legalnewsline.com, the title of the operation is "Operation Smoked Out." Recently, six retail locations were the subject of the undercover operation. State and local police obtained nearly 3,000 packages of synthetic marijuana worth more than $58,000.

Retail locations like gas stations and liquor stores in Centralia and Pinckneyville were the targets of the recent undercover operation. Centralia is more than an hour southwest of Edwardsville. Over 2,000 packages of synthetic marijuana were gathered from four locations in Centralia. The street value of the drugs totaled $42, 459.

The Illinois Attorney General's Office has been trying to educate the public on the dangers of synthetic marijuana and other synthetic drugs. A summit was held in November to build awareness among police officers, parents, health care professionals and educators.

Poison control centers across the country have seen an increase in the number of calls related to synthetic marijuana and bath salts in recent years. Bath salts are another form of synthetic drug that produces the effects of meth and cocaine.

Source: wjbc.com, "State still fighting synthetic drugs after ban," Jan. 14, 2012