Pubdate: Sun, 01 Apr 2012
Source: Times, The (Gainesville, GA)
Copyright: 2012 Gainesville Times
Contact:  http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2701
Author: Lee Johnson

LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING SYNTHETIC DRUG

Officials Have Had Eye on Drug for a While

The responsibility of monitoring and enforcing Chase's Law will 
mainly rest of the shoulders of local law enforcement.

But, officials say, it is something that has been on their radar for 
some time, even though manufacturers of the drug have been one step 
ahead of lawmakers.

"The law has already addressed synthetic marijuana and it has been 
addressed for some time," said Lee Darragh, Hall County district 
attorney. "Every time they tweak the law, the industry has responded 
by changing the formula only slightly to make it legal again."

The new law, signed by Gov. Nathan Deal last week, seeks to broaden 
the language to ban the main compound in synthetic marijuana and all 
its derivatives.

"Really, we as legislators have an opportunity to pass legislation 
that will have an immediate impact in our state and this is one of 
those examples," State Sen. Buddy Carter said. "The road block that 
we've run into is that we've tried to identify each of the formulas 
and put them into the code section. What would happen is that 
(manufacturers) would tweak it somehow and it would not be one of the 
ones we had listed."

With the help of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the state came 
up with a law they think will be more successful than past attempts.

But it will ultimately be up to local law enforcement.

"The GBI participated in getting the bill passed," said Rusty Grant, 
special agent in charge of the GBI Regional Drug Enforcement Office in Canton.

"The actual enforcement will most likely be at the local level more 
than the state level.

"We are stressing to the sheriffs and the chiefs how important this 
is and there's been a very good reaction from them in getting out and 
enforce the new law."

The Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad for Gainesville-Hall County has not 
started searching local convenient stores and head shops, but, 
Darragh said, it is only a matter of time.

"Obviously anything that is against the law to sell I would want, and 
I'm sure the M.A.N.S unit and others that are interested in enforcing 
drug laws would want, to certainly be proactive in (enforcing the 
law)," he said. "We would then respond with appropriate prosecution."

The law, he says, will make it easier to identify illegal versions of 
the product and his office, along with local law enforcement, will 
enforce this "like (they) would any other crime and other drug crime."

The law became effective upon the governor's signature, making it 
illegal to have any of the products prohibited by the law on store shelves.

"I think those who would sell synthetic marijuana should be concerned 
and be very careful," Darragh said. "If they think what they are 
selling is legal, then they should have a lot of doubt about that 
before they just decide to go forward."

Law enforcement will likely be looking to make sure all products are 
off shelves in the coming days, but no specific instructions have been given.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom