COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s top law enforcement official and the head of the state’s pharmacy board have joined forces to permanently ban two new chemicals abused as illegal synthetic drugs rather than wait for lawmakers to act.
The rule announced by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and State Pharmacy Board Director Kyle Parker attempts to outlaw the two chemicals compounds, known as PB-22 and 5F-PB-22, and any variations of them. The rule that took effect Thursday classifies the chemical compounds as Schedule I controlled substances, illegal under Ohio law.
DeWine has asked for the authority to ban compounds that are a threat without the need for legislation.
“The standard process for banning these substances…takes far too long, which is why we are asking the legislature to give the Attorney General’s Office emergency authority to ban new synthetic drugs as soon as new chemicals of concern come into our lab,” he said.
DeWine says legislation is being prepared that would grant him the authority to temporarily classify a drug as illegal if it poses “an imminent hazard to public safety.”
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration temporarily scheduled the compounds as illegal drugs in February but DeWine and Parker say the state’s ban is permanent.
Authorities say the compounds appeared after a 2012 law went into effect banning all synthetic drugs that existed at the time.
The chemicals — often sprayed on plant material to mimic the effect of marijuana — can have effects similar to, but longer-lasting, than amphetamines. They are typically sold in stores that sell smoking paraphernalia in small, brightly colored packets and marketed as herbal incense products.
Users can become agitated, paranoid, confused or even violent, authorities said. The may experience convulsions, unconsciousness, lethargy, nervousness, erratic behavior, driving as if intoxicated, inability to stand, and slurred speech, DeWine and Parker say.