The U.K. government's panel of scientific experts recommended restrictions on mephedrone, a synthetic drug also known as M-Cat and Meow-Meow. The drug can be bought over the Internet and is popular in nightclubs.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs recommended classifying mephedrone as a Class B controlled substance. This class includes cannabis and amphetamines. Possession carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail, while supplying it carries a penalty of up to 14 years, according to the Home Office.
The European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction said more than 30 web sites promote the substance, which often originates in Chinese labs. A single dose costs about $4.50 US, according to public health researchers.
Mephedrone is a synthetic form of cathinone, the active ingredient in khat, which is a stimulant popular in parts of Africa, said Steven Grant, chief of the clinical neuroscience branch at the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse.
"As a result of the council's advice, I'm introducing legislation to ban not just mephedrone and other cathinones but also to enshrine in law a generic definition & so that we can be in the forefront of dealing with this whole family of drugs," Home Secretary Alan Johnson told reporters Monday.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/03/29/mephedrone-drug-ban-uk-mcat-khat.html#ixzz0jbMgTUFT
Labels: mcat, meow meow, mephedrone
Posted By: Aspen/CRC