National Synthetic Drug Crackdown Leads to Arrests

More than 100 people nationwide were arrested by federal drug agents in the latest phase of a crackdown on the manufacturing and distribution of synthetic drugs, the Associated Press reports.

The DEA and other state and federal agents arrested more than 150 people in 16 states since July 2014 in an operation that ended last Thursday.

Over $15 million in cash and assets were seized by federal agents as part “Project Synergy,” an ongoing effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that aims to eliminate synthetic drugs.

The DEA has been focusing on synthetic drugs, including bath salts, Spice and Molly, since the drugs gained widespread popularity years ago. The agency is responsible for enforcing federal drug laws.

A bipartisan group of U.S. representatives has introduced a bill designed to combat the increasing use of synthetic drugs. The bill would add more than 200 compounds to the list of Schedule I drugs, which are likely to be abused and have no medical uses.

“These drugs are, in my judgment, more serious than the drugs that are on the Controlled Substance Act, more dangerous,” said bill co-sponsor Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat who represents Washington, D.C. “These are right out in the open. They’re disguised in colored wrapping with snappy names to appeal to young people and children in particular. They are cheap. Much cheaper than the dangerous drugs like cocaine and heroin. They’re sold everywhere. And drugs that are sold everywhere are presumed to be safe. They are openly marketed as an alternative to dangerous drugs and they have bizarre effects.”