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Legislation to close loopholes in a 2011 law to ban synthetic drugs passed its first committee stop this afternoon. Last year lawmakers crafted legislation to ban bath salts and other synthetic drugs, but as Whitney Ray tells us, drug manufactures have slightly altered the chemicals in their products and now lawmakers are back to ban them.

An emergency ban and desperate pleas from law enforcement officers motivated Representative Jimmy Patronis to pass legislation banning synthetic drugs last year.

“Legislatively we are doing what we can to make sure these chemical combinations don’t kill our youth,” said Patronis.

Not long after the ban went in to effect, new drugs began showing up in gas stations and tobacco shops. One of those products, Jazz, a synthetic marijuana compound may have contributed to the death of a Florida teen earlier this month.

By slightly altering the chemicals in their products, drug manufacturers have been able to skirt state law, and legally sell synthetic drugs similar to marijuana and PCP here in Florida. Jenn Meale, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Pam Bondi, says their office has been working with lawmakers and police on a new ban.

“Attorney General Bondi, legislators and law enforcement will continue to monitor how efficient these laws are and anytime a drug manufacturer alters a component and circumvents state law, we are going to be on top of them,” said Meale.

Rep. Clay Ingram is sponsoring the bill. It simply adds new chemicals to the list of passed last year.

“We tried to find all the possible combinations we think they could come up with chemically and specifically ban those substances,” said Ingram.

Lawmakers hope the legislation will eliminate the current group of synthetic drugs. But they know the ban won’t stop the manufactures from finding new chemicals to put in the products to get them back in stores.