An epidemic.
That’s how Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem describes the growing use of synthetic drugs – such as fake marijuana and fake LSD. Stenehjem told the Legislature’s interim Judiciary Committee the law passed in the 2011 session has given law enforcement a tool to crack down on synthetic marijuana – and he says he’ll be asking for a similar law for the so-called “bath salts” – which people are ingesting.
"These things sell for $50 a gram," said Stenehjem. "It's much more expensive than your typical Calgon bath oil beads. This is something they know is going to be consumed by people."
Stenehjem told the committee that people are dying or suffering or are suffering debilitating side effects.
"Emergency room doctors are telling us they're seeing these folks come in all the time," Stenehjem said. "They are paranoid, agitated. We have had deaths in Grand Forks ."
Stenhejem said the next challenge is to get a handle on the fake LSD. He said he wants the Legislature to pass av similar bill to the one it passed in 2011, dealing with fake pot.
"Nobody knows what's in these things," Stenehjem said. He said amateur chemists can slightly change the molecular makeup of the fake drugs – making them harder to track.
