The Clarion Ledger had an article in Sunday’s paper about a Mississippi woman who was arrested for buying Sudafed in Alabama with plans to bring it back in to Mississippi. In Mississippi, you must have a prescription to purchase any items containing pseudoephedrine. In Alabama, you can purchase these items over the counter. However, tt is against the law to purchase Sudafed, or any other items containing pseudoephedrine, in another state and bring it back into Mississippi. The lady in the article claims she was forced to sign a confession admitting that she purchased the drugs to make crystal meth. She was found guilty and sentenced to one year in jail. She has an appeal pending.
I completely understand the need to limit the amount of pseudoephedrine containing products purchased by consumers. Crystal Meth is an epidemic in our nation and its use/production must be curtailed. However, our laws can overreach sometimes and this is an example of one which does just that. If you have a young child in dire need of Sudafed at 2 in the morning you can no longer go down to the 24 hour Walgreens and pick up a box. If you wake up with a sinus issue and have no time to go to the doctor’s office (don’t get me started on the wait here) to get a prescription for Sudafed, you are stuck trying some other remedy.
The Legislature had good intentions when they enacted this law but look at all the other products you can purchase which can get you high: airplane glue, whipped cream (cans), cough syrup, gasoline, keyboard cleaner, fresh ground Nutmeg. These are just a few examples. Is the Mississippi Legislature going to pass laws on these items? They are just as addictive and harmful, if not more so, than crystal meth. And these items don’t even have to be mixed up and cooked.
The absurdity of laws never cease to amaze me. Our Government simply cannot see the “forest for the trees”. Making Sudafed available by prescription does not make a dent in the drug use in the American culture. It just makes it harder for my kid, or me, to get better quicker when a cold hits.
Disclaimer: This blog is intended as general information purposes only, and is not a substitute for legal advice. Anyone with a legal problem should consult a lawyer immediately.