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May 21, 2001 Bill Cracking down on club drug “ecstasy†sent to Governor’s The Missouri House of Representatives has sent to Governor Bob Holden a measure designed to crack down on the manufacture and distribution of the club drug ecstasy in Missouri and give prosecutors additional tools in securing stiffer penalties against drug dealers. During the last day of session, the General Assembly approved House Bill 471, sponsored by Representative Cathy Jolly, D-Kansas City. Representative Jolly said her reason for sponsoring the bill centered around the growing popularity of ecstasy among teenagers and young adults, and increasing knowledge of the negative consequences. “As a former assistant prosecutor in Jackson County, I can readily attest to the increase in popularity and use of ecstasy among high school and college students in our state,†said Representative Jolly. “We need to stop this drug on the streets and in the clubs. To do otherwise could jeopardize the future of hundreds of young Missourians by exposing them to a lifetime of chronic, drug-related problems.†Ecstasy first became popular among young partygoers on the east and west coasts about five years ago, and since that time it has found it’s way into pp culture through mentions in popular television shows and music. The drug produces a short-lived feeling of euphoria and relaxation, a lowering of inhibitions, and a mild energy burst. Yet the National Institute on Drug Abuse has determined that the drug can cause permanent changes in the brain’s chemistry and causes sever dehydration and depression after the drug wears off. House Bill 471 increases the penalties for possessing and selling ecstasy to the same levels for trafficking heroine and other dangerous drugs. This gives prosecutors a more formidable weapon to use in their fight against the proliferation of ecstasy among our young adults, Rep. Jolly said. House Bill 471 elevates the crime of possessing more than 90 grams of this drug to a Class A felony, which includes mandatory jail sentences of 20 years to life. Currently most of the ecstasy available in the United States comes from Europe, particularly Holland. So unlike methamphetamine, the drug’s manufacturing process is not a problem here, Rep. Jolly said, but law enforcement is eager to get ahead of the curve on ecstasy and not risk falling behind as the state did with the manufacturing and distribution of meth in Missouri. HB 471 passed by a vote of 156-0 in the Missouri House and awaits Governor Bob Holden’s signature to become law. | |||||
Paid for by Kreider for Senator.
Bobby Neal Jr., Treasurer. Not at taxpayer's expense.
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