New Drug Law Passes

Last year, the Louisiana legislature passed a drug law designed to stop sales of fake marijuana in the state. It was duly signed into law and the legislature went home for the summer. But then, manufacturers responded by creating a different form of designer drug – this one sold as bath salts. And there’s the problem. When legislatures outlaw one drug or form of drug, it’s not much of a hassle to market something else that isn’t yet illegal.

This session, with HB 12, the legislature is trying to do a bit of preventative medicine. Instead of just making one substance illegal, the new law (signed last month by Governor Jindal) addresses a whole class of substances in one fell swoop. It does make the so called, “synthetic bath salts” illegal, so those should be off the shelf in Louisiana already. We’ll have to see if this new attempt can keep the manufacturers from one-upping the law yet again.

Louisiana is ahead of the nation on this one. Even with our short legislative season, as of January 2011, we were one of only eight states with a law to address this issue. Also established was a kind of “quick response” mechanism. On an emergency basis, a provisional listing of a substance as controlled can be made – even if the legislature isn’t in session to act. This is similar to the power given to the FDA to temporarily halt production or sale of a dangerous drug until a proper review can be done.

Hopefully, the problem is licked, but we shall have to see what tricks manufacturers may have up their sleeves. There is a real market for so-called “legal highs.” Those who don’t want to risk arrest but still want to experiment will buy them as safer alternatives to street drugs. Of course, it turns out that this junk is actually more dangerous than the drugs they mimic. In fact, there have been several deaths nationwide due to these products.