Risks of Using and Selling Bath Salts and other Designer Drugs In Georgia

What is a designer drug?

A “designer drug” is a generic name for an illegal chemical substance designed for recreational use. Often popular at raves and clubs, most designer drugs that promise a chemical high are also hallucinogens, and can come in different forms such as pills, powders or rocks and be smoked, inhaled, injected or swallowed. 

One designer drug that has gotten a lot of media attention in Georgia is “bath salts.” This category of designer drugs is often packaged and labeled as other items “not fit for human consumption.” Bath salts are both stimulants and hallucinogens, and undesired side effects can include agitation, paranoia, confusion and/or violent behavior. Physical side effects can include an elevated body temperature (causing people to disrobe or over hydrate in an effort to cool down), vomiting, loss of muscle control, blurred vision, changes in heart rate and breathing rate. Longer term side effects can include changes in memory, disrupted sleep patterns, depression, anxiety and paranoia.

Because designer drugs are made illegally in small batches, the chemical make-up of each batch can vary and evolve– hence the designer moniker. Specific chemicals often associated with bath salts are MDPV and mephedrone, or chemical derivatives of those two ingredients. These drugs are extremely potent, and because each batch of designer drugs has its own unique chemical make-up, it can be difficult to predict exactly which effects any given user will experience. This also makes is difficult for emergency room doctors to pinpoint the best emergency treatment.

Designer Drugs and the Law

It is against the law to possess or sell bath salts in the state of Georgia. In 2011, Governor Nathan Deal signed a bill into law classifying bath salts as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. Possession or sale of bath salts is a felony, and the Georgia Drug and Narcotics Agency has given local jurisdictions the power to take bath salts without a warrant.

In 2012, President Obama signed a bill into law that bans the sale, production and possession of more than two dozen of the most common drugs found in bath salts. Under the law, anyone convicted of selling, making or possessing over 25 synthetic drugs will face penalties similar to those for dealing traditional drugs like cocaine and heroin. But some experts warn that there are so many different variations of the drugs that it is difficult for U.S. lawmakers to keep pace with the evolution of designer drugs.T he maximum fines and terms of imprisonment for a number of illegal drugs usually depends on the amount in possession, and whether there was intent to distribute, trafficking and/or manufacturing.

Anyone caught possessing illegal drugs in Georgia will face the possibility of severe penalties. I successfully defended a local man who has been indicted and charged with felony murder, manslaughter, and the distribution of methylone. In the case of felony murder, the maximum possible penalty is death. The sad reality is that the victim, who was 18 years old, died as a result of ingesting a single dose of bath salts.