Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced today (Thursday, July 2
that her bipartisan legislation banning the dangerous synthetic drug 2C-E cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee and will now go to the full Senate for approval.
The drug has led to the death of one Minnesotan and has hospitalized several others. Two additional bipartisan bills Klobuchar has co-sponsored banning harmful chemicals used in other synthetic drugs passed the Committee as well.
“As a former prosecutor, I have seen firsthand how drugs can tear apart families and take lives. These new designer drugs have tragically killed and injured Minnesotans, and yet they can still sometimes be purchased online or in local stores. That’s simply unacceptable,” said Klobuchar. “We must take swift action to make these substances illegal before they put more lives in danger.”
Sen. Klobuchar’s legislation, the Combating Designer Drugs Act of 2011, bans the substance known as 2C-E, a synthetic hallucinogen, and eight other similar substances. Klobuchar introduced the legislation this past March after a Minnesota teenager died and 10 others were hospitalized due to an overdose of 2C-E.
Two additional pieces of bipartisan legislation that Klobuchar has co-sponsored ban other harmful chemicals commonly used in synthetic drugs. The Dangerous Synthetic Drug Control Act of 2011, introduced by Klobuchar, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), and five other senators makes illegal certain chemicals, some of which the DEA has temporarily banned, and which are found in synthetic marijuana, often referred to as “K2” or “Spice.” The Combating Dangerous Synthetic Stimulants Act of 2011, introduced by Klobuchar, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and eight other senators bans the sale of harmful synthetic drugs that are being sold and marketed as “bath salts” and have a similar effect on the body as cocaine and methamphetamine. The drugs have resulted in numerous reports of individuals acting violently, leading to deaths or injuries to themselves or others.
Klobuchar is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, which has jurisdiction over issues relating to drug control policy, and she has been a leader in strengthening drug safety standards to protect consumers. Last year Klobuchar introduced the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010 with Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) to provide patients with safe and responsible ways to dispose of unused controlled substances. The legislation, which was signed into law in October 2010, helps reduce the risk that teenagers will gain access to expired or unwanted prescription drugs in homes by permitting individuals and long-term care facilities to deliver unused drugs for safe disposal.