Report: LSU players tested positive for synthetic marijuana

No. 1 LSU suspended cornerbacks Tyrann Mathieu and Tharold Simon and tailback Spencer Ware after they tested positive for synthetic marijuana in a school-administered drug test earlier this month, ESPN.com reports today, citing two people familiar with the situation. The three players will sit out Saturday’s home game against Auburn. ESPN.com reports that LSU Coach Les Miles suspended the players indefinitely, but added the trio could return for the Tigers’ showdown at No. 2 Alabama on Nov. 5. “There are some requirements in place which the players have to complete before they’ll be allowed back on the team,” the source says. Synthetic marijuana is sold as blends of exotic herbs and plant materials and are coated with chemicals called synthetic cannabinoids, which produce a marijuana-like high when smoked. A news release issued by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in April said synthetic cannabinoids are “designer drugs” which are “manufactured and distributed in an attempt to circumvent the Controlled Substances Act. They are marketed in a manner so as to mask their intended purpose and are labeled with a statement that the package contents are ‘not for human consumption,’ or are ‘for novelty use only.’ ” Five chemicals commonly found in synthetic marijuana blends are now classified as Schedule I controlled substances, which are reserved for unsafe and highly abused substances with no medical use.