A bill to create a pilot Missouri Highway Patrol program to identify forms of synthetic drugs was heard at a House committee on Monday night.
No public opposition or support was offered for the bill at the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee hearing, but concerns about how to pay for the program were raised.
Committee member Rep. Kathie Conway, R-St. Charles, said, "I don't know where the money would come from."
The measure is expected to cost almost $5.5 million in fiscal year 2016. For each of the two years following, expected costs are just above $2 million. Most of the cost is associated with employing staff and training.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Bonnaye Mims, D-Kansas City, said she knew "money was slim," but curbing the use of synthetic drugs was urgent.
Mims said the program would focus on quickly identifying all types of "designer" drugs in the field and dispensing that information to hospitals. These substances are made to mimic the effects of illegal drugs using synthetic chemicals but are able to evade drug laws and can be purchased by adults legally, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The two main types of these substances are synthetic cannabinoids, which produce similar effects as marijuana, and synthetic cathinones, which mimic amphetamines.
"I know we won't be able to stop all our kids from using (synthetic drugs)," Mims said, but said her goal was "being able to jump on it before they die."
Mims said House Bill 753 would supply law enforcement with the means to fight the drugs' consumption.
"Our people in law enforcement, let me just say I am very proud of them because they are on top of it," Mims said. "But they just don't have enough staff to handle it and they don't have enough money to handle it."
The use of synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as "spice," has skyrocketed in the past decade, with the rates especially high for young people. Spice has become the second most used illegal drug by high school seniors, falling short only to marijuana, according to the institute.
Spice contains shredded plant materials that are sprayed with chemicals that have mind-altering effects. It has been known to cause hallucinations, agitation and vomiting. In extreme cases, the drug has even caused heart attacks, according to the institute.
Synthetic cathinones, commonly known as "bath salts" or "plant food," are usually sold in a powdered form and can cause paranoia, agitation and hallucinations among users, according to the institute. In some extreme cases, these drugs have caused psychotic behavior and even death among users.
These "legal highs" are able to evade drug laws because both spice and bath salts are sold under the label "not for human consumption," according to the institute. Also, making certain chemicals illegal doesn't stop these drugs from being produced because makers will change a small chemical component of the drug to allow it to keep its legal status.
For instance, in July 2012, President Obama signed a law that made two of the most popular synthetic cathinones and many synthetic cannabinoids illegal, according to the institute. In response, manufacturers of these drugs changed them enough that their products were not outlawed by the legislation.
"It's not a normal illegal drug," Mims said. "(Producers) are always one step ahead of us all the time."
Rep. Justin Hill, R-Lake St. Louis, said the state doesn't need to house this pilot program because the Drug Enforcement Agency already tests new synthetic drugs. He said Georgia has a similar program, but it has a different model of crime labs than Missouri, which is composed of many small labs.
"For our state to take on this and for it to cut into the Department of Public Safety's budget without a funding source," Hill said, "That's a big, big bite."
Conway said she realizes that synthetic drugs are a problem in the state but Missouri doesn't have the funds available to create a program.
"I'm always looking at dollars and cents," Conway said. "Coming up with the funding could be a real problem, but I'm happy to work with (Mims) on that issue."
In her closing statement, Mims said her next step will be to find alternative sources of funding for the program.