Senate Revamps Efforts to Remove Synthetic Marijuana from Mass.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
The amendment would add synthetic marijuana to the list of Class C substances, meaning that it would be classified in the same way that Peyote and Mescaline are. The amendment would also establish a definition in an effort to ban other similar drugs.
“If this language is maintained in the final budget, its implementation will help to save lives in the future,” said Senator Michael O. Moore, who filed the amendment. “Furthermore, this amendment keeps Massachusetts a step ahead of devious manufacturers by banning substantially similar drugs. This amendment will help our law enforcement personnel to ensure the safety of residents.”
If passed, first offenders could see up to two and a half years in jail, up to five years in state prison, a fine between $500 and $5,000 or some combination of jail time and a fine. Subsequent offenders would see between two and a half and ten years in state prison, jail time between two and two and a half years, a fine between $1,000 and $10,000 or some combination of jail time and a fine.
Fake Marijuana, Real Effects
Also known as “spice,” the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) classifies synthetic marijuana as “a wide variety of herbal mixtures that produce experiences similar to marijuana (cannabis) and that are marketed as ‘safe,’ legal alternatives to that drug.”
Synthetic marijuana offers its users many of the same mind-altering effects that marijuana does - including an elevated mood, altered perception, and relaxation – but in some cases has been reported to cause other effects.
Cases of anxiety, vomiting, seizures, raised blood pressure, hallucinations, and depression and suicidal thoughts have all been reported to Poison Control Centers throughout the United States. According to the American Associate of Poison Control Centers, 795 exposures have been reported from January of 2014 to April of 2014.
“One of the reasons that I think that these compounds, probably the most important reason why they are bad, is because we do not know that much about them, particularly what they do in vivo, particularly what they do in humans,” said Dr. Jenny Wiley, a leading expert in behavioral pharmacology. “Many of the compounds that are showing up on the street right now have never been tested on humans.”
Legislative Efforts
The Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 is a part of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act. The act was signed in an attempt to battle some of the synthetic drugs that began making their way into drug abuse circles and included a ban on some of the commonly found synthetic compounds found in synthetic marijuana, as well as synthetic stimulants like bath salts and other hallucinogens.
The drugs are banned by placing them under Schedule I of the Controlled Substance Act, meaning that the drug has a high potential for abuse, the drug is not accepted for medical use, and that there is a lack of accepted safety while using the drug. This also makes the drugs illegal to buy, sell, and possess.
While synthetic marijuana has been banned on a federal level, dealers still find ways to sneak around restrictions. Currently, the DEA only has designated the top five most commonly used chemicals used in synthetic marijuana under Schedule I, giving dealers room to find other chemicals to use.
While Moore acknowledges that synthetic marijuana is already banned in certain forms, he hopes that this amendment could give local law enforcement more authority to remove the substance from Massachusetts.
“In 2012, President Obama signed into law the Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act, which banned certain synthetic drugs,” said Moore. “These are not drugs being sold on the streets but rather on the shelves in local convenience stores. Although the federal law should keep all these synthetic substances off shelves, without this amendment local law enforcement agencies would not have the full authority to act to remove these substances.”
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