Smurfing Bill Moving Through Legislature

State Representative John Kivela’s new meth bill is on its way to Governor Rick Snyder’s desk. The proposed law would restrict pharmacies from selling ephedrine and pseudoephedrine products, like Sudafed and Zyrtec-D, to individuals convicted of methamphetamine-related offenses. Convicts with a prescription would still be able to purchase the medication. If the bill is passed, pharmacists would have to run the customer’s name and other information through a database. An alert would be sent if someone tries to buy cold medications who have had a meth-related conviction in the past ten years. A second alert would be sent if someone tries to buy 3.6 grams of cold medications in a day or 9 grams in 30 days. The bill would also make it a felony punishable by up to five years in prison or a $5,000 fine to possess ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, if it will be knowingly used to make meth. Soliciting or “smurfing” people to buy the drugs could send someone to jail for up to a ten years or pay a $10,000 fine. State Representatives Scott Dianda and Ed McBroom co-sponsored the bill.