Newstrack: Federal raid drastically reduced synthetic drugs in Iowa City

BACKGROUND

In May 2014, Iowa City police and drug enforcement officials raided three businesses in Iowa City suspected of selling synthetic drugs as part of a nationwide law enforcement project called Project Synergy. It was the second phase of the project, which had hit two stores in Iowa City a year before.

What's happened since

Iowa City Police Sgt. Zach Diersen recalls when synthetic drugs were the scourge of Iowa City.

'We were having issues back then, several calls a day a day dealing with those synthetics,” said Diersen, who oversees the departments Street Crimes Action Team, which tackles drug-related issues.

All that changed on May 7, 2014, when police and federal agents raided Zombies, 316 E. Burlington St.; Happy Daze, 361. E. College St.; and Pipe Dreamz, 355 S. Linn St. - downtown Iowa City businesses suspected of selling synthetic drugs. Diersen said that operation all but eliminated synthetic drugs in Iowa City.

'We have seen very little synthetic since then,” he said. 'I can only think of a couple of times in the last two years when we've bumped into it.”

Synthetic marijuana, also known as K2, was sold under brands such as Spice, Blaze and Bizzaro but marketed as bath salts or plant food. The substance - smoked like marijuana - has been shown to cause vomiting, hallucinations, violence and psychosis.

The DEA said the drugs have lead to abuse, addiction, organ damage and overdose deaths.

While drug trends can wax and wane depending on supply, demand and enforcement actions, Diersen said he's never seen an impact on a controlled substance such as the drastic decrease in synthetic drugs.

'In my 20 year career, that's probably the most impact I've seen an operation have on drugs in a community, which is pretty impressive for a city the size of Iowa City. Basically, to not see it at all for almost a couple years after that is pretty impressive.”

The look and feel of downtown Iowa City has shifted since the raid as well, said David Schwindt, the police department's downtown resource officer, who was an integral part on the local synthetic crackdown. Schwindt said synthetic marijuana began mostly as a nuisance drug - people would act as they did if they were high on marijuana and could be seen rolling joints in the Pedestrian Mall.

'It didn't make for a safe, clean environment,” he said.

But as chemists for the companies behind the synthetic marijuana continued to tweak their formulas to stay ahead of legislation aimed at tackling the synthetic issue, side effects to using those substances changed. Schwindt said police started seeing 'real psychotic behaviors,” with users falling off benches, crawling down alleys and acting suicidal or homicidal.

'It was taxing on the safety and aesthetics of downtown,” he said, adding he can recall picking up dozens of synthetic marijuana wrappers on a daily basis.

There has been a 'tremendous” difference downtown since the raids, Schwindt said, noting much of the problematic behavior has gone away.

'We're still keeping an eye on it,” he said. 'This is not a book we've closed and set up on a shelf.”

Diersen said the trio of businesses that were selling synthetic drugs since have closed. Zombies now is operating as Almost Paradise in the former Pipe Dreamz location, according to its Facebook page.