02/29/2012 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 140                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act classifying certain substances as schedule IIA                                                                     
     controlled substances; and providing for an effective                                                                      
     date."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:06:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  KEVIN MEYER,  recalled prior  legislation regarding                                                                    
synthetic  marijuana, and  stated  that synthetic  cathinone                                                                    
"bath salts" were  sold on the street much  like cocaine. He                                                                    
stressed  that  using  the cathinone  bath  salts  had  very                                                                    
harmful effects, and felt that  they should be made illegal.                                                                    
He explained  that cathinone bath  salts were  not currently                                                                    
detected  by  drug testing,  so  if  they  were to  be  made                                                                    
illegal, he  hoped the crime  lab would  test for them.   He                                                                    
explained that there  were some minor changes  that had been                                                                    
made  to the  bill in  the Judiciary  Committee. Originally,                                                                    
the  bill had  been  introduced  on behalf  of  the City  of                                                                    
Anchorage,  but  the  problem is  state-wide.  The  City  of                                                                    
Anchorage   wanted  "possession   at  any   amount"  to   be                                                                    
classified a felony, but  the Judiciary Committee determined                                                                    
that possession would  only be considered a  felony at large                                                                    
quantities.  A first-time  user  of the  bath  salts with  a                                                                    
small quantity would be considered a class-A misdemeanor.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:08:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson wondered  if bath salts would  be considered a                                                                    
schedule 1-A controlled substance.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHRISTINE  MARASIGAN, STAFF,  SENATOR  KEVIN MEYER,  replied                                                                    
that  the Drug  Enforcement  Agency had  emergency-scheduled                                                                    
bath salts, so  it would be considered a  class-1 drug under                                                                    
federal  law. However,  in order  for the  bath salts  to be                                                                    
considered illegal  in the state,  legislation needed  to be                                                                    
passed.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman noted the  four previously published fiscal                                                                    
notes. He closed public testimony.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Ellis  MOVED to  report  CS  SB  140 (JUD)  out  of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal  note(s). There  being NO  OBJECTION, it                                                                    
was so ordered.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CS SB  140 (JUD) was  REPORTED out  of committee with  a "do                                                                    
pass"  recommendation  and  with four  previously  published                                                                    
fiscal  notes: FN1  (LAW),  FN2 (DPS),  FN3  (DOC), and  FN4                                                                    
(DOA).