D.C. mayor wants crackdown on synthetic drugs

After a rise in synthetic drug overdoses in the District, Mayor Muriel Bowser wants to increase the power of police to combat its reach. Bowser plans to submit emergency legislation to the D.C. Council giving the police chief power to close businesses that sell synthetic drugs for 96 hours during the investigation. She believes that this action will deter businesses from selling the dangerous substances, known as Scooby Snax and K2. These types of drugs can cause disorderly behavior as well as anxiety, seizures, and sometimes death. Bowser says the current laws against synthetic drugs are lax and she hopes this legislation will be a first step toward stricter penalties.