Thursday, May 24, 2012

US Senate makes bath salts, synthetic marijuana illegal

Source
Observer-Dispatch

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer announced that the Senate passed a bill that would make synthetic marijuana and the chemical compounds found in bath salts illegal in the United States.

It was passed as part of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act.

“Let this be a warning to those who make a profit manufacturing and selling killer chemical components to our teens and children: the jig is up,” Schumer said. “This bill closes loopholes that have allowed manufacturers to circumvent local and state bans and ensures that you cannot simply cross state lines to find these deadly synthetic drugs.”

Schumer’s bill would take the chemicals the DEA has identified within synthetic marijuana products and place them as Schedule I narcotics with other deadly drugs like heroin and LSD.

It would close loopholes that have made the spread of synthetic marijuana almost impossible to stop because manufacturers tweak the chemical compounds to create products that are not technically covered under existing bans.

The legislation casts a wide net over existing synthetic marijuana products and other possible chemical combinations, ensuring that simple chemistry could not result in new products that fall outside of existing bans.

In addition to banning synthetic marijuana, Schumer’s legislation also bans active ingredients in bath salts, which have been sold online, convenience stores and in smoke shops under names like Tranquility, Zoom, Ivory Wave, Red Dove and Vanilla Sky.

According to numerous reports, the chemicals found in these bath salts and plant foods cause effects similar to those caused by cocaine and Methamphetamines, including hallucinations, paranoia, and suicidal thoughts.

Locally, several municipalities already have made these drugs illegal and have charged area store owners.




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