CADA NEWS, VIEWS, AND CLUES
An e-mail newsletter for the education and prevention of ATOD abuse
An effort by the Coalition Against Drug Abuse of Clay County and Southeastern IL
Counseling Centers, Inc.
September, 2012
COMBATING SYNTHETIC
DRUG USE
Synthetic drugs continue to pose
unique challenges for Illinois law
enforcement and prosecutors. On
Wednesday, August 29th, the Illinois
Attorney General’s Office and the
Illinois State Police held a series of
teleconference trainings titled
“Synthetic Drug Suppression –
Enforcement and Legal updates.”
The Attorney General’s
teleconference addressed the growing
numbers of teens and young adults
using synthetic drugs, which are
chemically, laced substances akin to
marijuana, cocaine and meth.
Synthetic drugs are divided into two
categories based on their chemical
make-up:
•Cannabinoids, popularly known as
K2 or Spice, which consist of labmanufactured THC that acts as a
chemically formulated version of
synthetic marijuana; and
•Cathinones, known as "bath salts,"
which contain chemical compounds
designed to mimic the effects of
cocaine or meth.
One of the more interesting facts that
was brought out was that money
played a major factor in the sale of
these synthetic drugs. The people who
sell these packaged products can make
thousands of dollars in a single day.
One particular seller reported making
over ten thousand dollars in one day.
The teleconference went into some
detail about the dangers associated
with these synthetic drug products.
The base solution is obtained from
overseas productions in a powder
form then put into a soluble solution.
At this point the solution can either be
sprayed on or soaked with the
solution. Anything can be used to
absorb the solution. Leaves, oregano,
flower petals, or any other things or
material that will absorb the solution
are used. The application of the
solution can vary according to how
much solution is applied or allowed to
soak into the materials. This makes
for an unknown degree of potency to
the product. The strength of the
Synthetic Drugs can even vary within
the packet. This leads to an inherent
and unknown danger of using
Synthetic Drugs.
The Attorneys General said the drugs’
packaging often states the products
are not intended for human
consumption, but their design,
labeling and marketing clearly allude
to the product being smoked and
inhaled. The drugs are extremely
dangerous because buyers do not
know what chemicals they are
ingesting – individual products can
contain a vast range of different
chemical formulations and potencies,
some of which can be two to 500 times
stronger than THC, the compound
found in marijuana.
OPERATION
“SMOKED OUT”
Many states, including Illinois initially
responded to the rise of synthetic drug
use by passing laws that banned
specific formulas of synthetic
marijuana and bath salts. But some
manufacturers have circumvented
such regulations
by replacing the banned synthetic
cannabinoid or cathinone with a
newer version that is not yet on the
market and not yet known to
authorities. These chemical
modifications pose further risk to
users, who are unaware of the
strength of the new chemical
combinations or the reactions they
may cause.
The State of Illinois is now using the
"Operation Smoked Out" initiative,
with state investigators working with
local law enforcement agencies to get
Illinois retailers in 24 counties to
relinquish synthetic drugs on their
shelves.
“Operation Smoked Out” also
addressed mislabeling – the
misleading claims that products are
legal and not listing all chemicals
contained in the package. Law
Enforcement agencies and State
authorities go to the retailers and
explain the mislabeling and illegality
of the products sold and convinces the
retailer to surrender all the synthetic
drug products on their shelves and
sign an agreement to stop further
sales.
In conjunction with “Operation
Smoked Out” Illinois State Laws have
been passed that would make it a
Class 2 felony to distribute a synthetic
drug product. The bill would make it
a Class 2 felony to distribute a
product with false or misleading
labeling.
It has been a tough fight but Illinois
State Chemists and Illinois Law
Enforcement agencies are constantly
investigating and analyzing synthetic
drug packaging to reduce the sales.
Contact Information
Louie Lusk is a board member of CADA and a Prevention
Specialist for Southeastern IL Counseling Centers, Inc. He may
be reached by: Ph – 618-838-9997 or by e-mail –
lusksicci@hotmail.com
Resources: Office of Illinois Attorney General
Funding provided in whole or in part by Illinois Department of
Human Services.