New proposed legislation is aimed toward new synthetic drug

A new drug has hit the street called 2C-E, which is a synthetic substance that can be take orally or by insufflating. This drug produces hallucinations similar to those experiences while under the influence of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

U.S. Senator Amy Klobucher recently announced that lawmakers are looking to crack down on 2C-E after a massive overdose of 11 people between ages 16 and 21 in Minnesota, news station KARE reports.

"Right now you have an ability in with our DEA to prosecute drugs that are similar," Klobuchar told the news provider. "It is called an analog drug. But it is a very temporary situation so you want to continue to add the drugs we see as causing injury to the list."

The Drug Enforcement Administration's Analog Act allows authorities to arrest individuals who supply synthetic drugs because a legal compound is illegal if it mimics an illegal drug.

According to the the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use, an estimated 21.8 million Americans ages 12 and older used illicit drugs in the month prior to the survey. This translates to nearly 8.7 percent of the total population of that age group.