RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The recently enacted Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 placed “cannabimimetic agents” and certain classes of amphetamine-like stimulants into the Controlled Substance Act. These compounds were placed into the CSA because they present an “imminent hazard to the public safety.” As a result of this act and numerous individual State legislations, possession with the intent to distribute these “misbranded drugs or synthetic drug products” may be a felony, and subject to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties. And yet, sale of “herbal”, “bath salt”, and other products which contain these substances continues. Users across the nation have become seriously ill, suffering seizures and hallucinations. The chemicals are suspected in at least nine US deaths since last year, and according to the Associated Press, medical emergencies related to synthetic drugs could go up nearly five-fold by year’s end. Also of considerable concern, “male enhancement” products commonly sold in convenience stores and over the internet have now been found to contain extraordinarily high levels of PDE5 inhibitors, the same active ingredients as found in drugs prescribed for erectile dysfunction.
