Assemblymember Brindisi Pushes For Ban of Synthetic Marijuana

May 16, 2012

Assemblymember Anthony J. Brindisi (D-Utica) is sponsoring a bill that would prohibit the sale and distribution of synthetic cannabinoids, or synthetic marijuana (A.7324).

"Synthetic drugs can be incredibly harmful and potentially fatal to users," Assemblymember Brindisi said. "In order to keep our streets safe, we must immediately outlaw their sale and distribution."

Last year, the state placed a ban on chemicals in designer drugs known on the streets as "bath salts", as they can often be more harmful to users than the effects of the drugs they are designed to mimic (Ch. 130 of 2011). In the first seven months of 2011, Poison Control received 13 times the number of calls involving synthetic drug-related incidents than they received in all of the year prior. ⁱ

Recently, the Mohawk Valley has seen a rise in incidents involving synthetic drug use. A dozen local students have been suspended for having or using synthetic cannabinoids and recently a man was arrested for jumping in front of a car on Route 31 while allegedly high on bath salts, added Assemblymember Brindisi.

"I have heard from a number of families regarding the use of synthetic drugs in our community," Assemblymember Brindisi said. "Banning these substances is the first step. We need to make sure parents have the information they need to teach their kids to stay away from these dangerous drugs."

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ⁱ www.alcoholdruginterventions.org/the-latest-digits-on-drug-abuse-in-america/

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