State cracks down on synthetic drugs

The state is beginning to crack down on rogue chemists and synthetic narcotics production.

The Indiana Board of Pharmacy amended a state administrative code May 21 that will add four compounds commonly found in synthetic narcotics to a list of controlled substances.

Once effective, the compounds will be banned within the state of Indiana.

The goal of the ban was not only to stop the use of the compounds in the production of synthetic drugs such as “K2” and “Spice” but also to remove any similar compounds, said Nick Goodwin, communications director for the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency.

“A lot of times police find that the synthetic drugs are not made of the same compounds,” he said. “Instead, they consist of different variations of similar compounds.”

These variations comprise 18 other compounds that will also be amended to the state administrative code.

The Pharmacy Board gets its authority from the state code, which allows it to work with police to ban substances that are harmful to others.

Synthetic narcotics use introduces many dangers. Of these dangers, perhaps one of the most concerning is the idea that these drugs can have trace elements that bring severe side effects, said Ruben Baler, a health scientist for the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

“No one really knows where these compounds are made,” Baler said. “It could be in China, India or anywhere. They probably aren’t made using safe laboratory practices.”

When safety regulations aren’t enforced, the compounds can pick up traces of other nearby substances that can have devastating consequences.

Another major concern is that synthetic drugs can have more potent effects than natural cannabinoids like THC, Baler said.

“We don’t really know the short-term and long-term effects, and we don’t really know the pharmacology of these compounds,” he said.

Despite the perturbing effects, synthetic narcotics use is gaining ground in the U.S.

“Eleven to 12 percent of submissions from the police lab contain synthetic drugs,” said Fred Huttsell, a forensic scientist with the Indiana State Police.

In 2013, synthetic drugs were the fourth most prevalent drug in Indiana. They followed marijuana, methamphetamine and heroine.

Synthetic drugs were the second most widely used type of drug in the nation last year.
According to NIDA, synthetic drugs are often sold over-the-counter in convenient stores and gas stations.

Nationally, the drugs were legally available until March 2011. Since then, the Drug Enforcement Administration has continually added compounds to a list of controlled substances.

Data from surveys taken in 2012 by NIDA suggest synthetic narcotics use, by adolescents especially, is on the rise.

“The effects of these drugs are more harmful than natural marijuana,” Goodwin said.