House Bill 1196 To Illegalize Bath Salts

One hundred and sixty-one new laws have been approved by the Indiana General Assembly this year, and a large number of those new laws will become effective on July 1. These changes impact a variety of issues from bills regarding education and health care issues to those regarding farms and home energy cost.

One such bill, House Bill 1196, addresses synthetic drugs – particularly bath salts. The bill changes the term “synthetic cannabinoid” to “synthetic drug” in the bill, and adds additional chemical compounds – including some compounds sold as bath salts – to the definition of synthetic drugs. It also expands the definition to include certain chemical compounds structurally related to synthetic drugs.

The bill will also allow the Board of Pharmacy to adopt an emergency rule declaring a substance as a synthetic drug, and it enhances penalties for dealing in or possessing such drugs if the amount is more than two grams.

Any retail business that has been convicted or selling a synthetic drug can have its retail merchant certificate suspended for a year.