Mephedrone on a temp ban in Florida for now

[Disco Pickle]

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/26/2035806/florida-ag-bans-drugs-labeled.html

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday temporarily banned a synthetic designer drug called MDVP that is commonly labeled "bath salts."
Officials say the complex drug, sold at malls, head shops, convenience and other retail outlets, often near displays of energy drinks, can produce hallucinations, severe paranoia, seizures, aggression, increased blood pressure and eventually kidney failure.
Bondi is worried the so-called bath salts, which usually are snorted like cocaine but also can be smoked and injected, could pose a hazard when tens of thousands of college students descend on Florida's beaches for spring break.
"It makes you think you're seeing monsters and it also makes you think that you can fly and there are a lot of balconies out there," Bondi said at a hastily called news conference.
Bondi issued a 90-day emergency order that went into effect immediately. It makes the sale or possession of the drug a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. That's the same penalty as for similar crimes involving cocaine or heroin.
Legislative leaders said who attended the news conference said they plan to pass a law permanently banning the substance when lawmakers begin their regular session in March.
Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen, who brought the issue to Bondi's attention, said a woman who took the drug there tried to cut her mother's head off with a machete thinking she was a monster.
In another case it took seven officers to subdue a man who was on the drug and take him to a hospital, McKeithen said.
"He literally tore the radar unit out of the vehicle with his feet," the sheriff said.
Bay County includes Panama City Beach, one of the nation's top spring break destinations.
Florida law gives the attorney general the authority to temporarily prohibit new substances not covered by existing statutes "to avoid an imminent hazard to the public safety."
Bondi held up a couple foil packets of bath salts purchased at a mall and store in Tallahassee and a small jar bought in Panama City. She said they sell of $30 or $35 each.
Officials believe the drug comes from China. It is sold under such names as Purple Rain, Ivory Wave, Pure Ivory, Vanilla Sky, Ocean Burst and Bolivian Bath.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal issued a similar order earlier this month.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey said the substance contains five dangerous chemicals not prohibited under current law.
It's usually sold in packets or jars of 500 milligrams, but there are no instructions on how to use it so overdoses are common as it takes only 10 milligrams to get high, Bailey said.

for anyone who hasn't heard of it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mephedrone

the side effects are 

just what the world needs..  another recreational drug.   admittedly, had I come across this 5 years ago, I'd have probably put it up my nose at least once, just to see what the fuss was about.  I don't really have time for that sort of experimentation these days, and that's a good thing.

RWHN, you seeing any of this in your area of expertise or is it just too new to make your radar yet?

[BadBeast]

We've had a ban on that for a while now too. Basically, it's a Chinese Speed/E substitute. It's main market over here was with young college kids, who wanted something readily available and legal to go clubbing on. Although the effects will keep you up, compared to proper drugs, it's fucking horrible, and makes you feel rough as arseholes the next day. Unscrupulous Pikeys use it to bulk up their bathtub speed with, but if you have an educated eye, any cut is fairly obvious by the texture and smell of the product.
Why can't people  just stop fucking around with good drugs?   

[Disco Pickle]

We've had a ban on that for a while now too. Basically, it's a Chinese Speed/E substitute. It's main market over here was with young college kids, who wanted something readily available and legal to go clubbing on. Although the effects will keep you up, compared to proper drugs, it's fucking horrible, and makes you feel rough as arseholes the next day. Unscrupulous Pikeys use it to bulk up their bathtub speed with, but if you have an educated eye, any cut is fairly obvious by the texture and smell of the product.
Why can't people  just stop fucking around with good drugs?  

Never been a fan of stimulants myself as I'm already running a pretty fast everything without any added help, but I know there's definitely a draw and demand for them that will likely drive more experimentation to synthesize chemicals that aren't yet illegal.

LSD was always my drug of choice, but I can't find it with any regularity and chemists are fucking with THAT now too.  

[BadBeast]

It got marketed over here, as a plant food, to get around the "untested drugs" Law, and got called fucking "Meow Cat" when bagged up for punters.  Fucking Meow Cat??

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

sounds stupid 

[BadBeast]

sounds stupid 

It does. It is.

"Pssst, Hey Kid, you wanna buy some Meow Cat?"

"Leave me alone you creepy cunt!"

[aquemini]

Methadone without a perscription from your doctor has always been illegal here...

[AFK]

Methadone without a perscription from your doctor has always been illegal here...

Mephedrone, not methadone.  

[AFK]

RWHN, you seeing any of this in your area of expertise or is it just too new to make your radar yet?

It's just starting to come up on the radar.  In the past couple of days I've seen a few different stories on the various listservs I'm on.  I've not heard of any specific cases in my area yet.  And it wasn't all that long ago that Spice and K2 quickly popped up on the radar and Maine pretty quickly put a ban on it.  I haven't heard anything from the State about this "bath salt" stuff though, so I'm thinking it is a phenomenon that isn't here or has gone unreported. 

[Bruno]

I believe Mephedrone is a close relative of Cathinone, which comes from the Catha edulis plant, also known as "Khat", which may be where "Meow Cat" comes from.

No relation to 5-MeO-W.

[Cain]

We've had a ban on that for a while now too. Basically, it's a Chinese Speed/E substitute. It's main market over here was with young college kids, who wanted something readily available and legal to go clubbing on. Although the effects will keep you up, compared to proper drugs, it's fucking horrible, and makes you feel rough as arseholes the next day. Unscrupulous Pikeys use it to bulk up their bathtub speed with, but if you have an educated eye, any cut is fairly obvious by the texture and smell of the product.
Why can't people  just stop fucking around with good drugs?   

wasn't that the one press called "meow-meow"?

Worst drug name ever.

[AFK]

Yeah, "khat" is interesting.  It's commonly used in African countries.  It has been known to be smuggled in on ships coming from Africa to supply refugees, particularly the Sudanese and Somali populations.  The trick though, is that it degrades pretty quickly.  So they basically need to use it right after it comes of the boat.  

[Bruno]

I tried to grow some from seed once, with no luck. The seeds are/were legal, but the plant is/was not. It's a pain in the ass to germinate, but pretty easy once you get it going, so I've heard.