03-05-2025
Several new drugs added to list of GA schedule I substances
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – A new bill signed into law by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp adds four news drugs to the list of Schedule I controlled substances in the state.
The substances that were just added are all fairly new according to lawmakers, but now, the law is catching up.
'It's just a way for us to keep up with it and make sure we have the law covered so that whenever somebody is arrested for manufacturing or transporting some of this stuff, especially trying to sell some of this stuff, we have to make sure they're going to pay for the crime,' State Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah), who sponsored the bill, said.
There are six classes of controlled substances. Drugs are classed based on medical use and how addictive they are.
The substances that have been added to Georgia's schedule one list are 2-Methyl-ap-237, Acetylpsilocin (4-acetoxy-n,n-dimethyltryptamine, 4-aco-dmt), Ethylphenidate and the Tetrahydrothiophene group.
'These are in class I, which means that they're just as addictive as class II, but they have no medical use,' Stephens said.
According to Stephens, one of the substances is an upper that has similar effects to a drug that was manufactured for hyperactivity in children. Another is an opioid.
However, these drugs, many of which Stephens said are homemade using over the counter or existing products in different drug classes, are unregulated.
'We have some smart kids. They'll come out from, especially a lot of our institutions of higher learning,' he said. 'We move them around, but these kids are smart, and we just try to stay ahead of the game.'
Unfortunately, the consequences for some can still be deadly.
'There is no second chance if you don't have a narcotic antagonist around like a Narcan to block the antagonistic effects of this stuff, and some of these kids unfortunately are passing away,' Stephens said.
In Georgia, possession of a schedule I substance is a felony and can come with prison time.
Now, that penalty will apply to the new drugs listed in the bill.
'Because it is a chemical that's named in this bill, then they [law enforcement] have the ability to carry out the law and enforce it and put these folks behind bars,' Stephens said.
However, he added that medical professionals are always finding new uses for drugs that were previously classed higher, like marijuana, which is now widely used to help people with a variety of illnesses.
Stephens, a pharmacist by trade, also said he has legislation in the works for the next session to fast-track new treatments for patients that need them.
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