Stenehjem Asks for Emergency Rule in State Statute for Synthetic - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Stenehjem Asks for Emergency Rule in State Statute for Synthetics

Synthetic Drugs are illegal in North Dakota thanks to emergency action by the North Dakota Pharmacy Board earlier this year.

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem is asking lawmakers to take that move one step further by making the emergency rule part of the state's statute.

A proposed bill adds additional known synthetic drugs to the state's list of controlled substances.

The law reaches further to include any variations of the illegal substances, that may include substances not known about right now.

Attorney General, Wayne Stenehjem says, "Every time you outlaw one of these substances, some chemist comes along tweaks the substance and makes it similar but different substance that is now not illegal. So the statute we are promoting is one that will say the core chemical plus any tweaking of that core chemical that is accomplished by a chemist will likewise will be against the law.

In 2010, 311 synthetic drugs were submitted to the state crime lab to be tested.

In 2012 that number grew to 1,470.

House Bill 1070 also adds Tramadol, a narcotic pain killer, to the list of controlled substances.

If passed, you can only legally possess the drug if you have a prescription.

The bill also makes it illegal to buy over the internet without seeing a doctor.