Pineville Man Arrested for Attempted Sale of Synthetic Marijuana

A Pineville man is arrested for possession of drugs in a school zone.

Rapides deputies say they found a student at ASH in possession of synthetic marijuana. They later found out it was taken from a family member to be sold to students.

Police arrested 55-year-old Michael Tassin for the crime. Deputies say the student was cited and released to another family member.

Deputies say the synthetic marijuana is extremely dangerous. “This synthetic marijuana as they call it, is devastating to our youth.  It is actually a poisonous” said Sheriff William Earl Hilton.  “Fortunately, Louisiana is proactive in banning the new chemicals as they come out but the manufacturers keep changing the chemicals which makes it easy to obtain.  We are encountering people that have smoked this and they are exhibiting hallucinations and are very combative.  This is a very dangerous substance”.

Louisiana has banned the sale and use of eight compounds marketed as synthetic marijuana to stem an increase in the use of the drugs that have sent scores of people to hospitals with dangerous reactions to toxins over the last several months.

KLAX ABC 31 News 12/16/14