Texas Law Enforcement Cracking Down On Synthetic Drugsd
A drug that is being sold online could be emerging as a big problem in North Texas. A drug called U-47700 has been popping up on drug forums and message boards stateside. The drug is alleged to be seven and a half times stronger than morphine. It was developed in the 1970s and although it was never released to the public, the drug has found its way onto online black market sites and has led to an influx of overdose deaths and hospitalizations in Europe.
The drug is considered an opioid, putting it in Texas’s top drug tier, which carries the stiffest drug possession penalties. Users have been mistaking it for cocaine and snorting it. The drug is more like heroin, a drug that can lead to severe health consequences if snorted. U-47700 causes respiratory depression, which shortens the user’s breath and can lead to suffocation.
The DEA has already begun to crack down on the drug. They recently received a $94 million dollar grant to pursue synthetic opioids. Synthetic opioids have reached epidemic levels in the US and officials have already started aggressively rooting out dealers and those in possession of the drugs.
Synthetic opioid possession carries significant penalties. Lengthy jail time and heavy fines only accompany the major health risks of the drugs. Drugs that are considered opiates fall firmly in the top tier of Texas’s four drug enforcement tiers. Fines can skyrocket up to $10,000 and land offenders in jail for up to six months or 180 days.
Denton, Arlington, Fort Worth and Dallas police officers state that they have not yet encountered the drug, but testing processes for U-47700 have not yet been developed and still may yet be months away. Texas law enforcement is, however, taking a strong stance against the popular synthetic cannabinoid, K2, which has exploded in popularity in the last few years. Texas recently passed legislation making synthetic pot illegal.
The legislation reads:
Sec. 481.106. CLASSIFICATION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE ANALOGUE. Provides that for the purposes of the prosecution of an offense under this subchapter involving the manufacture, delivery, or possession of a controlled substance, Penalty Groups 1, 1-A, 2, and 2-A include a controlled substance analogue that has a chemical structure substantially similar to the chemical structure of a controlled substance listed in the applicable penalty group, or is specifically designed to produce an effect substantially similar to, or greater than, a controlled substance listed in the applicable penalty group.
If you have been charged with synthetic drug possession, contact Wheeler Law Office immediately. We can be contacted 24/7 at (940) 465-3178 or visit our website. Our legal team is dedicated to aggressively defending our clients and achieving the best possible outcome. Being charged with drug possession can be a life-altering event. You need a lawyer that will relentlessly defend you to ensure that you are given the proper representation. We offer free consultation, flat fees, and payment plans to ensure this already difficult process does not get any more difficult.
