Article: Scheduling Psuedo

Good article by Ronnie Ellis (probably the best all around policy and political reporter in Frankfort) about the penal reform from last year. This task force continues its work. Of interest is the incorporation of the psuedoephedrine scheduling issue. Ronnie does a great public service by including an important fact about the issue:

"Similar laws in Oregon and Mississippi have not noticeably reduced meth use, but they have dramatically cut down on the number of dangerous and toxic meth labs."

The law enforcement officials I've spoken usually point to the potential to cut down on labs as a motivation for pushing the legislation. They want their officers exposed to less danger in their jobs. It's a reasonable rationale. But, the point Ronnie made needs to be reinforced. Even if we do schedule psuedo, meth use is not going away.