AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The most recent trend in legal synthetic drugs is designer psychedelics which, when ingested, mimic the effects of LSD or ecstasy. During the late summer of 2013, two young Harris County residents died shortly after taking an extremely potent designer psychedelic commonly referred to as 25I. One of the victims was a 21-year old man, while the other was a 15-year old girl. Both victims died within hours of ingesting the drug.
25I-NBOMe was first developed 10 years ago as a research tool to aid neuro-scientists, but is now being sold legally online and by dealers at clubs and parties.
S.B. 264 makes 25I-NBOMe illegal by adding it to Penalty Group 2 of the Texas Controlled Substances Act.
As proposed, S.B. 264 amends current law relating to the addition of a synthetic hallucinogenic substance to Penalty Group 2 of the Texas Controlled Substances Act.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 481.103(a), Health and Safety Code, to add 4-iodo-2, 5-dimethoxy-N-((2-methoxyphenyl)methyl)-benzeneethanamine (trade or other name: 25I-NBOMe) to the list of hallucinogenic substances, their salts, isomers, and salts of isomers that qualify as Penalty Group 2 controlled substances.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2013.