Pubdate: Tue, 24 Jan 2012
Source: Indianapolis Star (IN)
Copyright: 2012 Indianapolis Newspapers Inc.
Contact: http://www2.indystar.com/help/letters.html
Website: http://www.indystar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/210
Author: Zach Osowski

PANEL OKS BATH SALTS BILL; POT LEGISLATION LIKELY TO DIE

INDIANAPOLIS - A committee passed legislation today that is meant to 
help police crack down on a synthetic drug known as "bath salts," 
sending the bill to the full Senate for consideration.

But members of the Corrections, Criminal and Civil Matters Committee 
opted not to act on a bill that would have reduced penalties for 
those caught using marijuana.

Senate Bill 347, authored by Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Portage, would 
have reduced the charges for possession of pot. Under the proposed 
bill, possession of less than three ounces of marijuana would have 
been reduced to an infraction. Similar to a speeding ticket, this 
offense would be accompanied by a fine but no jail time.

Tallian said that the movement to legalize marijuana or simply reduce 
the charges associated with it is becoming a trend nationally. 
Tallian's bill would eliminate any felony charges associated with 
marijuana possession, but she was quick to say it did not make it 
legal to smoke the drug in public.

"You can't light it up on the Statehouse lawn," Tallian said.

The committee heard lengthy discussion about the history of marijuana 
as well as the differences between marijuana, industrial hemp and 
cannibus, which refers to medical marijuana. However, because the 
committee was short on time, the chairman - Brent Steele, R-Bedford - 
decided not to vote on the bill.

Instead, Steele focused on the bath salts bill. That effectively 
kills the marijuana bill for this session because the committee has 
no plans to meet again before a deadline for action.

The committee passed the Senate Bill 234, the bath salts bill, 
unanimously after approving an amendment.

Sen. James Merritt, R-Indianapolis, said the amendment granted some 
strong power to the state's Board of Pharmacy to define the synthetic 
drugs - including bath salts - that would be illegal.

The change is meant to address concerns that if the law defines the 
drug - by including the known chemical formula - chemists will simply 
make minor changes so the resulting product doesn't fit the old definition.

Under the amended bill, police could report new formulas to the 
pharmacy board, which could take action to add them to the list of 
drugs considered illegal.

"I am very proud of this bill," Merritt said. "I think this is the 
bill of the session."
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