12th mid expelled over ‘spice’ - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

12th mid expelled over ‘spice’

The Naval Academy expelled a 12th midshipman for smoking or peddling the marijuana-like drug “spice” Monday as part of a wide-ranging investigation, an academy official said Thursday.

The former midshipman was a female sophomore, academy spokesman Cmdr. Joe Carpenter said. Carpenter declined to provide additional details, citing privacy concerns.

She is the first woman to be expelled for spice, according to Carpenter. Six other sophomores have been kicked out, as well as four juniors and one freshman.

“In each case it was other midshipmen who brought the allegations to the attention of Naval Academy leadership,” Carpenter said in a statement.

The Drug Enforcement Administration banned the chemicals used to make spice and similar synthetic marijuana drugs for a year on March 1, under its emergency powers. The DEA is now studying whether these drugs, which had been sold in smoke shops and convenience stores, should be permanently controlled.

The academy investigation, begun last fall, is continuing.