Governor Steve Beshear signed emergency regulations this morning placing newly discovered synthetic drug substances under “Schedule 1” of the Kentucky Controlled Substances Act—making them illegal for businesses to sell.

House Bill 481, which was sponsored by State Representative John Tilley of Hopkinsville, gave the governor authority to place any new synthetic drugs that popped up into the category of controlled substances. The action was needed because the “basement chemists” making the chemically based narcotics were changing some of the ingredients to gain the same results as the banned substances and the General Assembly wasn’t able to pass new regulations until they were back in session sometimes several months later.

Representative Tilley says it became clear Kentucky needed a quicker mechanism of taking new synthetic drugs off the shelf and the new process will save lives and give law enforcement the tools they need.

It was the first time the new process was used and it takes effect immediately.

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12/18/2012/am