School resource officers and administrators at high schools throughout East Central Illinois said they are aware of "K2," a widely available synthetic cannabis that will become illegal in Illinois starting in 2012.

But most schools say they have not noticed a significant problem with students using or possessing the product at school.

"It's really not a big problem as far as a disruption at the school. But I can't tell you that nobody's using it — I'm just saying that if they are using it, we don't see it," said Brandon Thomas, a school resource officer at Champaign Central High School.

Although K2 has not been a noticeable problem at most schools, some schools are taking a proactive approach.

For example, the Watseka school district recently held a meeting for parents and students about "designer drugs" like K2.

Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High Principal Mike Lindy said his school has yet to see a problem with students using K2, but "we're certainly concerned about this being out there." GCMS will host its informational meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at its middle school in Gibson City.

"We're just trying to be proactive," said Julie Withrow, a guidance counselor at GCMS Middle School. "I attended the (meeting) at PBL and thought, 'You know, we need to let our parents (at GCMS) know that this drug is in the county.'"

Watseka schools hosted an information meeting about K2 after noticing it was being used by some students last school year, especially at the junior high level, said Amy Portwood, a guidance counselor at Watseka High School and the district's junior high school, Glenn Raymond School.

Neither Watseka school has noticed a problem with K2 this school year, Portwood said, "but last year, there was definitely (a problem) at the junior-high level.

Thomas noted that the greater anonymity of students at Champaign Central, which has 1,300 students, can hide the problems being noticed at smaller schools in the area.

"I doubt that there's a bigger problem, per se, in Paxton or smaller communities," Thomas said. "I think it's just easier to catch them (at smaller schools)."

At Rantoul Township High School, school resource officer Kurtis Buckley said the school has had "a few cases where the stuff is being used," but he said "as far as our school goes, it's not been a big problem."

At Danville High School, school resource officer Doug Weaver said he has not "run across (K2) here" at the school. However, a secretary for Danville Deputy Director Doug Miller said the police department has "dealt with it quite a bit" in the community.

Officials at Champaign Centennial High School, St. Joseph-Ogden High School, Hoopeston Area High School, Cissna Park High School/Junior High School and Iroquois West High School also reported no problems in connection with students using K2.

School resource officers at Urbana High School and Unity High School did not return messages requesting comment. Administrators at schools in Fisher, Milford, Mahomet-Seymour and the High School of St. Thomas More also did not return messages.

The schools that were reached all have policies that prohibit students from possessing, distributing or being under the influence of behavior-altering substances like K2.