House Committee Approves Synthetic Drugs Bill

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved a proposal to crack down on dangerous synthetic drugs that are being sold over the counter as bath salts and incense. The proposal by the committee's chairman, Democratic Representative John Tilley of Hopkinsville, would use a broad approach in regulating synthetic substances that mimic the effects of illegal drugs such as marijuana and methamphetamine by making classes of chemical compounds illegal. First-time offenders could be sentenced to a year in jail, fined thousands of dollars, forfeit property and lose their alcohol sale licenses.