Police: Mentor Man Arrested After He Is Caught With 'Incense'

A Mentor man is in trouble for having what is marketed as incense but is actually synthetic marijuana, Mentor Police Lt. Ken Zbiegien said.

Daniel Meeks, 20, was arrested after a traffic stop and arraigned Friday morning in Mentor Municipal Court.

He is charged with several misdemeanors – operating a vehicle while intoxicated, driving under suspension, not wearing a seatbelt and having drug paraphernalia – and one felony count of drug possession.

The drug Meeks is accused of having is called Skunk 101. It's a synthetic cannabinoid, similar to K2 and Yucatan Fire. In other words, it's a chemical that mirrors the effects of marijuana, Zbiegien said.

Until recently, these cannabinoids were sold legally as incense at head shops. Then the DEA made them illegal in March.

Even though the cannabinoids are related to marijuana, the penalties for getting caught with them are much stiffer.

If Meeks is found guilty of having Skunk 101, he could face up to a year in prison. By comparison, the most jail time a person could get for having a small amount of marijuana in Mentor is 30 days.

Judge John Trebets set Meeks' bond at $15,500, which was not posted. Meeks' next court date is scheduled for May 26.