Synthetic opiate makers stay step ahead of US drug laws as overdose cases rise

By April 11, 2016Bitcoin Business

Fentanyl, an opioid 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine, was classified as a schedule I controlled substance in May 2015. Photograph: Joe Amon/Denver Post via Getty Images Adolphe Joseph, 34, is serving a 10-year prison sentence for smuggling fentanyl – an opiate 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine.

But he has not been charged for the nearly three pounds of a synthetic opiate more than 10,000 times as powerful as morphine investigators found in his South Florida home last Fall. Nor will he be, say prosecutors.

W-18 is one of thousands of synthetic opiates that is not scheduled as a controlled substance and thus not subject to criminal drug penalties, and one of a handful of drugs that law enforcement officials and scientists say they have seen in increasing numbers in the last six months, as use, abuse and overdose deaths continues to rise.

Another, U-47700, which is seven to eight times stronger than morphine, has been the source of overdoses over the past year in at least 10 states since the first US incident was discovered in Knoxville, Tennessee, in June 2015.

Barry Logan, the executive director for the Center of Forensic Science and Education, said his lab has been able to track down 17 overdose cases of U-47700. And several other overdose deaths and hospitalizations have been identified by local law enforcement in Florida and northern Texas.

Even self-described drug connoisseurs are airing their concerns about W-18 on online forums.

“I dont think any sane drug user would ever consider playing with this substance,” said a man IDed as Trippman on Bluelight.org. “Sounds incredibly dangerous, even for those with opioid tolerances.”

But it’s unclear exactly how pervasive these drugs are. Overdoses on synthetic opioids “may be reported as a heroin overdose death unless the medical examiners dig down deep”, said […]

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