INDIANAPOLIS -- State lawmakers are set to take up proposals that would ban synthetic marijuana substitutes known as K2 or Spice.

Republican Sen. Ron Alting, of Lafayette, said the sale and use of such products is a growing problem that needs a statewide solution.

Alting said he'll introduce legislation in the 2011 session beginning in January to outlaw the products.

Democratic Rep. John Barnes of Indianapolis also hopes to sponsor a bill banning Spice.

The mixture of herbs and spices is sprayed with a synthetic compound chemically similar to the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

The products are illegal in several states but not Indiana. Several Indiana municipalities are considering or have passed similar laws, including in Morgan County and Boone County.

The Indiana Poison Center recently said the substance has caused the hospitalization of more than a dozen residents.

The substance is often sold as "incense" in convenience stores and is typically marked "not for human consumption."

Spice has been on the market since 2006 and is banned in at least seven states, including Kentucky.