South Georgia drug agents hope an emergency ruling from the state will help them fight synthetic marijuana.
Makers of the drug are out-smarting Georgia law.
That's why the Governor encouraged the state board of pharmacy to adopt an emergency rule classifying five new chemical compounds as controlled substances.
The Georgia Legislature passed Chase's Law to try to cover all the chemical compounds in synthetic marijuana, but manufacturers changed the molecular structure of the drug to circumvent that law. Now this new emergency rule tries to keep up with the chemists, and make those changes illegal.
It comes in all kinds of different packages, with catchy names, but to drug agents it's all synthetic marijuana or spice. But recent varieties being sold did not contain illegal chemical compounds, so the Governor moved to ban those as well.
"The state has five more chemicals that we kept running into that were being sold as spice. Had the effects of spice. And then we had the issue that it wasn't illegal," said Albany-Dougherty Drug Unit Commander Major Bill Berry.
Now the state has 17 chemical compounds that are classified schedule one substances identified by the GBI as molecular structures of synthetic marijuana. South Georgia drug agents say they see lots of it, even being sold in stores.
"Yes, yes. A lot of times you'll see it in convenience stores. You may not see it, you've got to ask for it. Some of them have it behind the counter," said Berry.
State authorities say these new varieties of spice have caused real health problems. And they want them off the streets. Drug agents say the new rule will help, but manufacturers will not sit still.
"Sure. They'll just change the chemical structure up again. That's how we got to all these. They came out with something and modified it a little bit and modified it a little bit, and it keeps going on," said Berry.
There is no field test for spice, so drug agents have to seize the substance and have it tested at the GBI crime lab to see if it's illegal. They say the state's new rule will keep their investigators looking.
"Continue like we've been doing. Continue to send our undercover people in and try to find who's selling it, and what names it's going by," said Berry.
Drug agents say the crime labs are getting backed up testing these new varieties, as this growing drug fight gets more complex.
You can buy the ingredients to make spice on the internet. This website sells damiana, it's a green leafy material, that you can spray chemicals on and make synthetic marijuana yourself. It looks like fighting spice will be a continuing issue for legislators and law enforcement.
The new rule allows law enforcement to seize the new spice varieties.
It does not provide for criminal penalties or arrest authority.
That will have to come through new legislation.
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