February 17, 2012
Will The New Laws Against Synthetic Drugs Work
Controlled substances have historically been difficult for governments involved with policing use. The primary targets have traditionally been the most well-liked subculture drugs such as weed. In the last couple of years they've been copied and made as synthetic drugs. These synthetic drugs were being sold as Legal High Products.
The new Synthetic Drug Control Act is designed to limit the distribution and use of manmade drugs. It was approved by House legislators in December 2011, and would briefly classify these substances as Schedule I drugs. Schedule I Controlled Substances - Substances in this schedule have a high potential for abuse, have no accepted medical use in treatment in the US, and there's a shortage of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision. Some examples of substances listed in schedule I are as follow: heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana (cannabis), peyote, methaqualone, and 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ("ecstasy").
Advances in technology have developed the power to test any potential drug user, particularly in terms of maintaining work. Many former users of detectable drugs have adjusted to the testing process by changing to designer drugs made of different chemicals that produce similar effects to other more common substances; this is especially true of cannabis.
Substitute forms of substances, primarily ketamine-based products called "K-2" or "Spice," are now straightforward to order online and the important ingredients are not detectable with any urinalysis as the chemical makeups are different. The ketamine physical effect is analogous to pot. In actual fact the designer drugs are sometimes more powerful, more uniform, and more cost effective. These types of products are also ingested by smoking, just like cannabis. These knock-offs are frequently referred to as "legal highs."
States are having a troublesome time addressing this designer drug dilemma because the laws against the traditional drugs are based on the important ingredient. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannebanol, or THC, is the active agent in cannabis and must be present for any court conviction. Designer drugs have mimic chemicals at the center of the compound and those chemicals must be highlighted and included in legislation and the developers often use chemical mixes.
In addition, while the states are busy attempting to combat the problem with new laws, the designer drug developers are busy staying one step ahead by identifying a new fusion of chemicals which will provide for a new product, often putting judiciary back at square one.
Legal High Products is a blog about Legal Highs and may continue to post information as it comes available about laws regulating synthetic drugs
Filed under Legal Staffing by Geena