re: Anyone watching this E60....

quote:

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So, it took 19 months after it being declared illegal in Alabama for AU to put it on the banned substance list?

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LINK


Auburn's athletic administration and coaching staff could not have legally informed parents about failed tests for synthetic marijuana before the drug was banned, according to documents obtained by AL.com through an open records search.
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But when Auburn began testing for synthetic marijuana on Jan. 27, 2011, the drug was not banned by Auburn, the NCAA or the state of Alabama. Because the drug was not banned by Auburn, synthetic marijuana was not covered under Auburn's drug testing waiver policy.

The ESPN article points out that possession of the drug had been outlawed in July of 2010, but the drug was still readily available. Synthetic marijuana could still be bought at stores until Gov. Robert Bentley issued an executive order on Oct. 14, 2011, banning stores from selling the product.

An anecdote from the ESPN article makes this clear, writing that Harrison Mosley, the father of former Auburn football player Dakota Mosley, bought spice over-the-counter and smoked it in late Oct. 2010.

After the drug was outlawed, Auburn asked its testing company, Aegis Sciences Corporation, if there was a test available. Aegis did not have one yet, according to Jacobs' statement on Thursday and corroborated by the ESPN article.

Before Auburn implemented penalties for the drug, the school tried to educate athletes, according to Jacobs.

AL.com obtained a copy of a letter circulated to athletes by Joe Joe Petrone dated July 17, 2010, informing athletes of the state of Alabama's law that banned possession, outlining the state's penalties and warning athletes that synthetic marijuana is "often sold over the internet and in herbal stores." ESPN's story also outlines meetings led by former Auburn coach Gene Chizik to educate coaches and players about the drug.

After testing was implemented, athletes were offered counseling – because it was not banned, counseling sessions could not be mandatory – although several athletes skipped those sessions, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. Mosley admitted to ESPN that he skipped a session set up by Malzahn after a meeting that Malzahn says centered around depression.