Yaccarino-sponsored Bill to Ban Synthetic Marijuana and Salvia

State Representative Dave Yaccarino (R-North Haven) applauded legislation passed yesterday that will ban the sale of synthetic marijuana and salvia divinorum. Yaccarino was a co-sponsor of the bill.

SB 1098: An Act Regulating the Sale and Possession of Synthetic Marijuana and Salvia Divinorum seeks to relabel five synthetic varieties of marijuana, known popularly as K2 or Spice, as well as salvia divinorum, a hallucinogenic herb, as controlled substances.

“I co-sponsored this legislation to add another layer of protection for our children against constantly changing and increasingly dangerous drugs,” explained Yaccarino. “Too many kids think drugs like marijuana, and now their synthetic equivalent, are not dangerous or will not be harmful to them. In fact, it’s just the opposite as many of these drugs, especially those engineered in a lab, are more potent and potentially more addictive.”

Yaccarino thanked Nancy Leddy, director of the North Haven Substance Abuse Action Council, who advised the Representative on the dangers these drugs could pose to communities.

Connecticut will not be the first state to impose regulations on synthetic cannabis. Kansas, Georgia, and Alabama, among others, have passed laws banning the sale of the substance. Legislation on the matter is pending in numerous other states, including New York.

The DEA has labeled varieties of synthetic marijuana "a drug of concern," allegedly responsible for several emergency room visits.

While no official studies involving the drugs have ever been conducted on humans, some doctors have suggested differences in the way synthetic and natural cannabis act on the body.

The new law bans the following substances:

1. 1-pentyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-018)
2. 1-butyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-073)
3. 1-[2-(4-morpholinyl)ethyl]-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-200)
4. 5-(1,1-dimethylheptyl)-2-[(1R,3S)-3-hydroxycyclohexyl]-phenol (CP-47,497)
5. 5-(1,1-dimethyloctyl)-2-[(1R,3S)-3-hydroxycyclohexyl]-phenol (cannabicyclohexanol; CP-47,497 C8 homologue)
6. salvia divinorum
7. salvinorum A

The use of chemical names in the legislation is meant to encompass the huge variety of brand and trade names the substances are currently, or may in the future, be sold under.

“Making these drugs illegal and keeping them out of kids’ hands before they become a problem for our communities is the right thing to do,” Rep. Yaccarino said.

The DEA has temporarily classified salvia divinorum and synthetic marijuana as Schedule I drugs until March 2012, at which point they will be reevaluated.