The Tennessee legislature has taken another step towards combating synthetic drugs. Law enforcement officials and concerned parents have asked legislators to create new regulations against cannanbinoids (fake marijuana), methcathinone derivatives (bath salts), and other designer drugs known as synthetic analogues.

These products produce effects similar to their real counterparts: marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Because they are technically not illegal, the products dubbed "K2 Summit," "Lux" and "Spike," have become very popular among young people. Still, authorities have tried to respond to their sale by sometimes bringing drug crime charges.

The senate judiciary committee recently approved a bill that would make the manufacture or sale of synthetic analogues a felony offense. The crimes would range between a Class B to a Class E felony, depending on the type of controlled substance the drug was intended to emulate. Possession of these products would be a Class A misdemeanor.

In speaking to the Tennessean, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Mae Beavers explained that the new law puts people selling analogues on notice that they may actually be selling a synthetic illegal drug.

Analogues are sold under the presumption that they will not be consumed. For example, bath salts are commonly dissolved in water to produce a relaxing, tingling effect on the skin. However, they can also be used to achieve a high similar to an illegal drug.

Legislators have tried to ban these products in the past, but drug makers have simply changed the ingredients to put them beyond the reach of the law. The latest bill will redefine the term "controlled substance" to include specific descriptions of the synthetic analogues.

The bill still must pass the Senate Finance Committee and both houses of the General Assembly before it becomes law.

Sources: The Tennessean, "Senate committee passes bill targeting synthetic drugs," Brian Wilson, Jan. 25, 2012