Senate Addresses Synthetic Analogues

Responding to worries from the public the Tennessee Legislature has drafted a bill to combat the sale of fake marijuana and cocaine. These so-called synthetic analogues are not sold for human consumption and are chemically unrelated to the illegal drugs they mimic. It’s the combination of being legal and having effects close to the illegal versions that makes them popular with young people.

There are, for instance, no age restrictions for purchase. Anyone with the cash could buy “bath salts” that mimic the effects of stimulant drugs, or purchase chemical containing herbs sold as incense which, when smoked, give a high like marijuana. Parents are naturally outraged.

The problem for law enforcement is the way these products can morph. As soon as one chemical is outlawed, clever chemists can make a related version that isn’t technically the same but has similar effects. Now, a bill in the Senate tries to stop the practice by outlawing these substances in broad categories as well as increasing penalties.

The bill still has a ways to go. It has to make it out of committee, pass the full Senate, pass the House and then get signed by the Governor. However, at least it’s a start. Other states have already passed similar legislation successfully. The DEA has also jumped in with an emergency decree that outlaws some of the popular synthetics as well.

Included in the legislation are stiffer penalties for both manufacturers and those who sell the synthetic analogues, changing the category of the offense from a misdemeanor to a felony.

On the bright side, these products are being sold by legitimate business people. This type of “dealer” is quick to react to any new law and will not risk their business just to make a few extra bucks. What is more likely is that sales will shift to the Internet and then enforcement becomes much harder, especially for single, private purchases. Ideally, the manufacturers will be hit and without anyone to do the tricky chemistry, the supply will die off. That remains to be seen. The immediate problem is to get these things out of the hands of our youngsters.