FEATURED IN NEWS
- Slain MIT Cop's Brother Seeks Holiday for First Responders
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Screening Day to be Held
- Semi Falls Off Portland Overpass
- One Dead in Arizona Freeway Ramp Collapse
- Car Jumps New York City Curb Striking Several People
- Ammunition Depot Fire Injures 30 in Russia
- Medicare Cost-Cutting Changes for Diabetics May Cause Confusion
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted Thursday to ban synthetic drugs nicknamed "bath salts" and other compounds that mimic marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamines.
Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., said his legislation identifies chemical compounds that affect the brain in ways similar to THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. They would be added to the highly restrictive Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
The bill also bans chemical compounds in synthetic drugs marketed as "bath salts" or "plant food" and under brand names such as K2 and Spice that have been used as substitutes for cocaine and other narcotics. They are now sold legally in some states.
Dent said that in the past year "there's been a sharp increase in the number of new reports detailing horrific stories of individuals high on synthetic drugs." He cited a case in Scranton, Pa., where a man high on bath salts stabbed a priest and another incident where someone jumped out of a three-story window after using them.
Dent's bill also expands from one-and-a-half to three years the authority of the Drug Enforcement Administration to temporarily ban a drug while it investigates its potential danger to public health. The Senate has yet to take up a similar bill.
These designer drugs can have serious side effects, said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., causing convulsions, anxiety attacks and dangerously elevated heart rates.
The vote was 317-98, with some Democrats saying the bill went too far in restricting chemicals that could be valuable to researchers looking for cures to diseases such as Parkinson's disease. When a drug is placed on Schedule I, said California Democrat Zoe Lofgren, "It becomes difficult to obtain not only for illegal purposes but for researchers who wish to study its pharmaceutical and medical potential."
The Drug Policy Alliance, a group that promotes alternatives to harsh drug sentences, said at least 40 states have already passed laws criminalizing Spice and other synthetic drugs and that the bill could subject more people to federal prosecution and lengthy prison terms for distributing small quantities of synthetic drugs.
Related Links:
- 'Fake Weed' Linked to Dozens of Medical Emergencies
- New Drug Has Dangerous Potential for Patients & Providers
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
