ANNAPOLIS — A bipartisan group of Maryland state senators are proposing a ban on synthetic marijuana — which is also called K-2 and spice — as the state prepares to legalize the real thing.

The bill would ban the chemical concoction, including the ingredients used to make it, and label the drug as a Schedule I  controlled substance — right along with cocaine and heroine. 

In the meantime, the General Assembly is rallying support around a bill that would legalize pure, clinically grown medical marijuana. The Senate approved legalization last year but the House rejected the proposal. 

 K-2, or spice, is commonly sold in the form of a liquid spray, which users apply to plant or herb leaves and smoke. The chemicals in the spray mimic the THC found in marijuana. 

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration also has moved to ban the substance, following reports that the substance was sickening users and sending some to the hospital. 

Ten senators including Montgomery County Democrats Roger P. Manno and Karen S. Montgomery, as well as Senate Minority Leader Nancy Jacobs, R-Cecil and Harford counties, are sponsoring the Maryland bill.