Control of Ergocristine

dynamickid · Jun 4, 2010

Hope this isn't posted yet, Old but interesting

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Drug Enforcement Administration
21 CFR Part 1310
[Docket No. DEA-320P] RIN 1117-AB24
Control of Ergocristine, a Chemical Precursor Used in the Illicit Manufacture of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, as a List I Chemical
AGENCY: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of Justice.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
SUMMARY: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is proposing to control the chemical precursor ergocristine as a List I chemical under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Clandestine laboratories are using this chemical as a substitute for the List I chemicals ergotamine and ergonovine to illicitly manufacture the schedule I controlled substance lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).
If finalized as proposed, handlers of ergocristine would be subject to the chemical regulatory provisions of the CSA and its implementing regulations, including 21 CFR parts 1309, 1310, 1313, and 1316. This rulemaking does not propose the establishment of a threshold for domestic and international transactions of ergocristine. As such, all transactions involving ergocristine, regardless of size, would be regulated. This rulemaking also proposes to specify that chemical mixtures containing ergocristine will not be exempt from regulatory requirements at any concentration. Therefore, all transactions of chemical mixtures containing any quantity of ergocristine would be regulated and subject to control under the CSA if this rule is finalized as proposed.
DATES: Written comments must be postmarked and electronic comments must be submitted on or before April 26, 2010. Commenters should be aware that the electronic Federal Docket Management System will not accept comments after midnight Eastern Time on the last day of the comment period.
ADDRESSES: To ensure proper handling of comments, please reference “Docket No. DEA-320P” on all written and electronic correspondence. Written comments sent via regular or express mail should be sent to Drug Enforcement Administration, Attention: DEA Federal Register Representative/ODL, 8701 Morrissette Drive, Springfield, VA 22152. Comments may be sent to DEA by sending an electronic message to dea.diversion.policy@usdoj.gov. Comments may also be sent electronically through http://www.regulations.gov using the electronic comment form provided on that site. An electronic copy of this document is also available at the http://www.regulations.gov Web site. DEA will accept attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, Adobe PDF, or Excel file formats only. DEA will not accept any file format other than those specifically listed here.
Please note that DEA is requesting that electronic comments be submitted before midnight Eastern Time on the day the comment period closes because http://www.regulations.gov terminates the public's ability to submit comments at midnight Eastern time on the day the comment period closes. Commenters in time zones other than Eastern Time may want to consider this so that their electronic comments are received. All comments sent via regular or express mail will be considered timely if postmarked on the day the comment period closes.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine A. Sannerud, PhD, Chief, Drug and Chemical Evaluation Section, Office of Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement Administration, 8701 Morrissette Drive, Springfield, VA 22152; telephone: (202) 307-7183.
MICROGRAM BULLETIN, VOLUME 43, NUMBER 3, MARCH 2010 Page 23
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[Editor’s Note: See the Federal Register for information regarding the posting of Public Comments.]
Background
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a synthetic schedule I hallucinogen. It is the most potent hallucinogen known and only microgram amounts are required to produce overt hallucinations. LSD has been abused for its hallucinogenic properties since the 1960s. It induces a heightened awareness of sensory input that is accompanied by an enhanced sense of clarity, but reduced ability to control what is experienced. The LSD "trip'' is composed of perceptual and psychic effects. A user may experience the following perceptual effects: Visual distortion in the size and shape of objects, movements, color, sound, touch, and the user's own body image. The user may report "hearing colors" or "seeing sounds." The psychic effects experienced by the user may include feelings of obtaining true insight, intensified emotions, sudden and dramatic mood swings, impairment of attention, concentration and motivation, distortion of time, and depersonalization.
High doses of LSD can induce a "bad trip" characterized by intense anxiety or panic, confusion, and combative behaviors. After a LSD trip, a user may also experience fatigue, acute anxiety, or depression for 12 to 24 hours. LSD is commonly abused by teenagers and young adults in connection with "raves," nightclubs, and concert settings.
LSD is most commonly found in the form of small squares of paper, called blotter, that are generally decorated with artwork or designs, perforated, soaked in liquid LSD solution, and dried. Each square represents one dose of LSD. There have been some instances of blotter paper being found impregnated with hallucinogens other than LSD. For example, the hallucinogens 2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine (DMA) and 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxy-amphetamine (DOB) have been found on blotter paper passed off as LSD.
Other forms of LSD include tablets (known as microdots), gelatin squares (known as window pane), and impregnated sugar cubes. LSD has also been available in gel wraps which look like "bubble-wrap" packing material, and are blue in color. LSD is also distributed in liquid form which often is packaged in small bottles typically sold as breath drops. Additionally, LSD has been embedded in candy such as "Gummy Worms," "Sweet Tarts," "Smarties," and "Pez." The most common venues for retail LSD distribution are "raves," dance clubs, and concerts.
According to the National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS), Federal, State, and local forensic laboratories analyzed 1,785 and 1,368 exhibits of LSD in 2000 and 2001, respectively. In 2002, the number of LSD exhibits dropped dramatically to 198 due to the seizure of a large clandestine LSD laboratory in Kansas. The number of LSD samples analyzed by Federal, State, and local forensic laboratories remained low for 2003 and 2004 with 362 and 338 LSD exhibits, respectively. However, there appears to be a slight increasing trend seen in 2005, 2006 and 2007, with 521, 590, and 844 exhibits reported, respectively. This trend appears to carry over into 2008 since NFLIS data, entered as of December 29, 2008 already documents 839 LSD exhibits.
Control Status
Lysergic acid diethylamide is in schedule I of the CSA (21 U.S.C. 812). LSD precursors, lysergic acid and lysergic acid amide, are both schedule III controlled substances (21 U.S.C. 812(b)). The LSD precursors ergotamine and ergonovine are regulated as List I chemicals under the CSA.
Illicit Production of LSD
LSD has been manufactured illegally since the 1960s. A limited number of chemists, probably less than a dozen, are believed to be manufacturing nearly all of the LSD available in the United States. Clandestine laboratory operators must adhere to precise and complex production procedures, and production of LSD is relatively difficult.
LSD has historically been produced from lysergic acid, which is made from ergotamine or ergonovine, substances derived from an ergot fungus on rye, or from lysergic acid amide, a chemical found in morning glory seeds. Although theoretically possible, manufacture of LSD from morning glory seeds is not economically feasible and these seeds never have been found to be a successful starting material for LSD production. The List I chemicals ergotamine and ergonovine are not widely available in the United States, and their purchase by other than established pharmaceutical firms is suspect. Therefore, ergotamine and/ or ergonovine used in clandestine LSD
Page 24 MICROGRAM BULLETIN, VOLUME 43, NUMBER 3, MARCH 2010
laboratories are believed to have been acquired from sources located abroad. Only a small amount of ergotamine or ergonovine is required to produce LSD in large batches. For example, 25 kilograms of ergotamine tartrate can produce five or six kilograms of pure LSD crystal that, under ideal circumstances, could be processed into 100 million dosage units. Thus, clandestine LSD manufacturers need import only a small quantity of precursor material.
Movement to Ergocristine as LSD Precursor and Largest LSD Laboratory Ever Seized by DEA
Because of the existing CSA regulatory controls on the LSD precursors lysergic acid, lysergic acid amide, ergotamine, and ergonovine, clandestine laboratory operators have sought uncontrolled sources of precursor material for the production of LSD. This has led to the illicit utilization of the precursor chemical ergocristine as a direct substitute for ergotamine and ergonovine for the illicit production of LSD. In fact, the largest clandestine LSD laboratory ever seized by DEA utilized ergocristine as the LSD precursor. Recipes documenting procedures for utilizing ergocristine in LSD synthesis are easily found on the Internet.
In late 2000, in the largest clandestine LSD laboratory seizure ever made by the DEA, agents seized approximately 41.3 kilograms (90.86 pounds) of LSD, manufactured in a clandestine laboratory set up in a missile silo near Wamego, Kansas. On November 6, 2000, two clandestine laboratory operators were moving the illegal laboratory when they were arrested. The clandestine laboratory operators utilized the chemical ergocristine as the unregulated source of precursor material for the production of the LSD. A total of 19 kilograms of ergocristine was seized. According to court testimony, the two defendants previously clandestinely manufactured LSD in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where every five weeks the clandestine laboratory produced about 2.2 pounds of LSD, approximately 10 million doses that cost less than one cent a dose to produce and would sell for as much as $10 a dose. According to court testimony, the LSD was shipped to California and later to Europe for distribution.
The El Paso Intelligence Center's National Seizure System data show that five clandestine LSD laboratories have been seized since 2001. According to law enforcement reporting, the seized laboratories were operated by a small number of experienced chemists and were of limited capacity: three of which produced less than two ounces, and two of which produced between two and eight ounces per batch.
Availability of the Precursor Chemical
DEA has determined that ergocristine is readily available from commercial chemical suppliers. DEA has identified at least three suppliers of ergocristine, of which one distributor is located domestically; the other two are based in Germany and the Czech Republic. The ergocristine used by the clandestine laboratory operator arrested in conjunction with the November 2000, clandestine LSD laboratory in Wamego, Kansas, was obtained through a chemical supplier in Germany who obtained the ergocristine from a chemical source firm operating out of the Czech Republic.
In the 2005 International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) report titled "Precursors and Chemicals Frequently Used in the Illicit Manufacture of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances," the INCB reported that in response to Czech authorities expression of concern over orders for ergocristine, INCB scrutiny over such shipments led to the one kilogram seizure of ergocristine by Panamanian authorities in early 2005. The INCB further reported that following the seizure, a further order was received from the Netherlands Antilles. The shipment of ergocristine was followed and a clandestine LSD laboratory identified. In that report, the INCB urged governments to exercise vigilance in regard to shipments of ergot alkaloids (such as ergocristine) and related substitutes not under international control.
This rule proposes the addition of both domestic and import/export controls on ergocristine (and its salts). Such controls are deemed necessary for law enforcement to identify domestic and international transactions in ergocristine, due to growing concerns regarding its use for the illicit manufacture of LSD.
Regulation of Ergocristine as a List I Chemical
The CSA, specifically 21 U.S.C. 802(34) and 21 U.S.C. 802(35), and its implementing regulations at 21 CFR 1310.02(c), provide the Attorney General with the authority to specify, by regulation, additional chemicals as "listed chemicals" if they are used in the manufacture of a controlled substance in violation of the CSA, and are important to the manufacture of the controlled substance. Ergocristine is being used in clandestine laboratories as the precursor material for the illicit manufacture of the schedule I controlled substance LSD. This rule proposes the regulation of ergocristine as a List I chemical because DEA finds that it is used in the illicit manufacture of the controlled substance LSD and is important to the illicit manufacture of the controlled substance LSD.
MICROGRAM BULLETIN, VOLUME 43, NUMBER 3, MARCH 2010 Page 25
If finalized as proposed, handlers of ergocristine will become subject to the chemical regulatory provisions of the CSA, including 21 CFR parts 1309, 1310, 1313, and 1316. This rulemaking does not propose the establishment of a threshold for domestic and import transactions of ergocristine pursuant to the provisions of 21 CFR 1310.04(g). Due to the high potency of LSD, even a single gram (i.e., 1/28th of an ounce) of ergocristine can be used illicitly to make thousands of dosage units of LSD. Therefore, DEA is proposing that all ergocristine transactions, regardless of size, shall be regulated transactions as defined in 21 CFR 1300.02(b)(28). As such, if finalized as proposed, all ergocristine transactions will be subject to recordkeeping, annual manufacturer reporting of inventory and use data, import/export controls, and other CSA chemical regulatory requirements.
Chemical Mixtures Containing Ergocristine
This rulemaking also proposes that chemical mixtures containing ergocristine not be exempt from regulatory requirements at any concentration, unless an application for exemption of a chemical mixture is submitted by an ergocristine manufacturer and the application is reviewed and accepted by DEA under 21 CFR 1310.13 (Exemption by Application Process). Since even a small amount of ergocristine is able to make a significant amount of LSD, the control of chemical mixtures containing any amount of ergocristine is necessary to prevent the illicit extraction, isolation, and use of the ergocristine. Therefore, all chemical mixtures containing any quantity of ergocristine will be subject to CSA control, if this rule is finalized as proposed, unless the ergocristine manufacturer is granted an exemption by the application process discussed below. If finalized, this proposed rule will modify the Table of Concentration Limits in 21 CFR 1310.12(c) to reflect the fact that chemical mixtures containing any amount of ergocristine are subject to CSA chemical control provisions.
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PB_Smith · Jun 4, 2010

"In late 2000, in the largest clandestine LSD laboratory seizure ever made by the DEA, agents seized approximately 41.3 kilograms (90.86 pounds) of LSD, manufactured in a clandestine laboratory set up in a missile silo near Wamego, Kansas. On November 6, 2000, two clandestine laboratory operators were moving the illegal laboratory when they were arrested. The clandestine laboratory operators utilized the chemical ergocristine as the unregulated source of precursor material for the production of the LSD. A total of 19 kilograms of ergocristine was seized. According to court testimony, the two defendants previously clandestinely manufactured LSD in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where every five weeks the clandestine laboratory produced about 2.2 pounds of LSD, approximately 10 million doses that cost less than one cent a dose to produce and would sell for as much as $10 a dose. According to court testimony, the LSD was shipped to California and later to Europe for distribution."

That's what gets me.
Greedy Bastards!

Grinners · Jun 6, 2010

PB_Smith said:

That's what gets me.
Greedy Bastards!
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But its the line of distribution that makes the price add up.

Those guys were probably selling it for 2c, next guy 4, next guy 50, eetc.

Reno91 · Jun 7, 2010

Is it true that you get charged with manslaughter if you get caught with it?

Mr.Writer · Jun 7, 2010

Of course not.

Grinners · Jun 7, 2010

Reno91 said:

Is it true that you get charged with manslaughter if you get caught with it?
Click to expand...

I think I know what you are referring to though.

Man sells mushrooms to 15 yr old girl.

Girl takes them, walks in front of a car and is killed.

Man who sold them to her gets charged with manslaughter.

Not sure what the outcome of the case was though.

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Control of Ergocristine

dynamickid Hemp Farmer

PB_Smith Huh? What? Who, me?

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Mr.Writer Senior Member

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Control of Ergocristine

dynamickid Hemp Farmer

PB_Smith Huh? What? Who, me?

Grinners Member

Reno91 Member

Mr.Writer Senior Member

Grinners Member

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