HARRISBURG – State Sen. Lisa Boscola praised the Senate’s unanimous passage of legislation that would ban the possession, use and sale of so-called bath salts, salvia divinorum and synthetic marijuana.
Senate Bill 1006, which Boscola co-sponsored, would add these highly dangerous synthetic drugs to Schedule I of the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act. Under the law, Schedule 1 drugs are considered to have “a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.” The state penalty for possession with intent to deliver a Schedule 1 drug is a maximum 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The legislation is similar to Boscola’s Senate Bill 164, which would ban salvia and synthetic marijuana.
“People can pay as little as $10 for these drugs in a gas station or on-line,” Boscola said. “These cheap synthetic drugs lead to dangerous, violent and deadly incidents. I will urge my House colleagues to act quickly on the bill.”
Boscola said these synthetic substances can cause dangerous side effects such as paranoia, hallucinations and disorientation, all of which can lead to violent behavior. She said that nationwide, poison control centers have reported more than 1,200 calls through March — up more than four times the number of calls for all of 2010.
Senate Bill 1006 now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.