Consequences of Prohibition
Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi Wednesday filed an emergency rule criminalizing four related synthetic cannabinoid drugs, including one being marketed under the name "Crazy Clown," her office announced in a press release. The emergency move makes the new synthetics Schedule I controlled substances under Florida law.
Georgia banned the drugs last month under a synthetic drugs analog law, and now neighboring Florida has moved to do so, too.
The move came after a spate of media reports and law enforcement warnings in August and September about users suffering ill effects from "Crazy Clown," including nausea, vomiting, and violent behavior. But there has been no reported follow-up on those initial accounts.
"I will remain vigilant in my efforts to keep these drugs off store shelves and will continue to outlaw emergent synthetic drug compounds. These drugs pose a serious threat to Floridians, particularly our youth," said Attorney General Bondi.
"While synthetic drugs are marketed as safe alternatives to illegal drugs, make no mistake; these synthetics are dangerous," said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey. "Adding these four new concoctions to Florida's schedule 1 drug list strengthens our fight. We will continue our efforts with Attorney General Bondi to identify illegal chemicals and react swiftly."
Bondi said she will work with the state legislature to permanently ban them next year.
While Bondi's action is of a piece with the reflexive prohibitionist response to the earlier new synthetics apparent both in Washington and in state houses around the country, banning new synthetic drugs is not the only possible response to them. New Zealand made headlines worldwide when instead of banning them, it moved to regulate new synthetics.
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Comments
Side Effects of Cannabis Prohibition
Legal Cannabis would put these clowns out of business . The D.A.`s office can`t have that ! The " drug war " is the " Golden Calf " of their operating budget . Who is the real clown , you may ask ? Is it the stuff in the package or in the courtroom ? Politics and intoxication is a bad mix by any standard . Solution = Legal Cannabis .
In reply to Side Effects of Cannabis Prohibition by kickback (not verified)
sorry
Legalizing weed wouldn't help. Synthetics are so strong they make you immune to normal weed. They are here to stay.
I have a "magic bullet" solution for eliminating synthetic canna
Legalize REAL Marijuana, and watch the market for synthetics disappear over-night. There's a scary reason these synthetics are very popular among our military and govt workers.. because the only draw to them is the ability to beat the drug test. I am fairly certain that the vast majority of these synthetic users are actually wanting the real thing instead, and if they were allowed to, they'd not touch this stuff at all.
Again, another perfect example of harm reduction being better than demand reduction. Hasn't history finally proven to us that you can't reduce demand? It's part of human nature to use psychoactives.
In reply to I have a "magic bullet" solution for eliminating synthetic canna by Uncle Bob (not verified)
again
Syns are waaaay stronger than the real thing! Real weed is like an antihistamine compared to the morpheme like strength of synthetics! I wouldn't ever compare the two. Different classes of intoxication. I luv syns. The real thing is a joke in comparison.
Whew!
Not that these substances are any kind of answer to anything.It's just that the knee jerk response to pass laws against intoxicants is dumber that using these substances.Specially when they declare it an emergency.We can all see who the real crazy clown is.
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