Joyce Marie Taylor
Suwannee Democrat
Mayo —
On Tuesday, Dec. 11, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi filed an emergency rule outlawing 22 new synthetic drugs, commonly called “bath salts,” “K2” or “Spice.” She was joined by law enforcement officers and a health practitioner as she announced the emergency rule designating new synthetic drugs as Schedule 1 of controlled substances, making it a third-degree felony for an individual to “sell, manufacture, or deliver, or possess with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver" these drugs. Synthetic drugs can cause psychotic episodes, hallucinations, seizures, paranoia, tremors, and more.
“Synthetic cannabinoids have been linked to thousands of emergency department visits across the country, and a majority of those visits are by patients ages 12-29,” said Bondi. “I am grateful to our law enforcement partners and the health care community for their continued dedication to protecting Florida’s youth from these horrible drugs.”
“These dangerous drugs are widely available in smoke shops, truck stops, convenience stores and through the internet,” said FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey. “Retailers who stock these products have two options: surrender their inventory or face enforcement action.”
Since taking office, Bondi has been dedicated to protecting Floridians from synthetic drugs. In 2011, she signed an emergency rule that temporarily outlawed MDPV, commonly known as "bath salts."
Bondi has worked closely with the Florida Legislature over the past two legislative sessions to add cathinones, commonly known as “bath salts,” and cannabinoids, commonly known as “K2” or “Spice,” to the schedule of controlled substances. She will work with the Florida Legislature during the 2013 legislative session to ban these 22 additional drugs permanently.
Lafayette County Sheriff Brian Lamb said, “It’s a victory for law enforcement anytime you have an emergency rule to ban synthetic drugs directed towards our youth. We will visit our convenience stores to make sure they know about the new emergency ban on synthetic drugs, asking them to continue to voluntarily keep it off their shelves. We appreciate the fact that our convenience stores have been voluntarily keeping it off their shelves since March 2012. They removed these synthetic drugs after the Sheriff's Office educated them on the dangers of these drugs to our youth.”
