Simpson: Synthetic Pot Bill Well Received

A key committee in Austin took testimony Tuesday on a bill by Rep. David Simpson that would allow people to sue makers of synthetic pot in civil courts. Simpson, R-Longview, reported afterward he expects the Committee on the Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence to move his House Bill 1200 on to the House of Representatives next week for floor debate. According to the Longview News-Journal, Simpson said Tuesday evening he had agreed to tweak that bill to ensure FDA-approved products are not caught in its net. The bill creates a civil liability for people who make synthetic drugs, which have sent many users to emergency rooms and are blamed in some deaths across the state. Simpson’s measure targets the pocketbooks of those who make and market the substances, which are sold as bath spices, potpourri and other harmless products.