Dear Neighbor,
Since the end of the 2013 Legislative Session, I’ve been working hard with Republicans and Democrats to find ways to fight the spread and use of synthetic drugs in Minnesota.
Recently, the bipartisan House Select Committee on Controlled Substance and Synthetic Drugs on which I serve formalized recommendations to the legislature. MinnPost recently wrote an article on the work our committee has done and our recommendations. Our recommendations include:
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Expand the definition of “drug” in statute to include any compound, substance, or derivative which is not approved for human consumption by the United States Food and Drug Administration or specifically permitted by Minnesota law, and when introduced into the body, induces an effect substantially similar to that of a Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substance regardless of whether the substance is marketed for the purpose of human consumption.
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Empower the Board of Pharmacy to issue cease-and-desist orders to businesses that sell synthetic drugs.
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Remove the sunset on the Board of Pharmacy’s emergency drug scheduling authority.
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Strike the statutory requirement that the Board of Pharmacy’s emergency drug scheduling decisions must be ratified by the Legislature to make the Board’s actions final.
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Create a pilot project that trains prosecutors in the best practices of prosecuting synthetic drug cases and funds expert witnesses in synthetic drug investigations and trials.
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Direct the commissioners of Education, Health and Human Services to formulate and implement an educational awareness campaign designed to reach a broad audience but contain targeted messages for students on the dangers of synthetic drug use.
The trauma endured by those who have fallen victim to synthetic drug abuse – as well as the anguish family members have gone through – is, in many cases, beyond repair. My hope is that the legislature will be able to act on these recommendations so we, as a state, can begin to prevent these tragedies from occurring.
As always, I am interested in your feedback. Please feel free to contact me by e-mail at Rep.Kathy.Lohmer@House.MN or contact my office at 651-296-4244. You can also send mail to my office address: 239 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.
Sincerely,
Kathy