Whatever Eutylone Is, Florida Discovered It Before The Rest Of The Country

Florida Man’s got a brand new bag, and its name is eutylone.  Eutylone is only the latest in a constantly evolving series of synthetic cathinones.  It was virtually unknown until 2019, when ephylone, another synthetic cathinone that produces similar effects, became subject to official bans.  More than 4,500 people nationwide were arrested for possession of eutylone, in 2019, but they were concentrated in only a handful of states.  Florida alone accounted for more than two thirds of eutylone arrests in the United States.  If you are facing criminal charges for possession of eutylone or another synthetic cathinone, contact a Florida drug offense lawyer.

What Are Synthetic Cathinones?

Synthetic cathinones are a wide category of human-made chemicals designed to mimic the stimulant effects of cathinone, a compound found in the khat plant (also spelled qat).  Cathinone causes people to feel energetic and euphoric; in Yemen and parts of eastern Africa, where the khat plant grows, the chewing of khat leaves has customarily been associated with social gatherings where people sit and converse for long hours.  Consider that a wide range of drugs, some of them legally available by prescription, are known as opioids, because they mimic the pain-relieving effects of the opium poppy, which has been cultivated in Europe and Asia for millennia.

The popular media sometimes refer to synthetic cathinones as bath salts, but this term offers little in the way of the description of the chemical composition or effects of synthetic cathinones.  The term “bath salts” is a reference to the fact that manufacturers sometimes label synthetic cathinones as “bath salts” and similar labels on the product packaging and online product listings.  The packaging and online listings indicate that the substances are not intended for human consumption, but in some cases, the sellers know that the buyers intend to consume the products.  This is similar to how some manufacturers of nitrous oxide cartridges market their products as cleaning chemicals, even though they know that the buyers intend to inhale the nitrous oxide.

Molly by Any Other Name Would Still Make Music Sound as Sweet

Not only is eutylone not unique in being a synthetic cathinone, it is also not unique in its street name; it is often called “molly,” a name that has also been applied to MDMA (which was known as “ecstasy” in the 1990s).  For example, in the summer of 2020, Willie Murphy, Jr. of Tampa was arrested after a search of his vehicle at a traffic stop in Alachua County yielded 55 grams of crack cocaine and more than 1,000 pills of eutylone, which Murphy referred to as molly when admitting that the pills belonged to him.  Murphy was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking.  Part of the reason for this sentence is that Murphy has prior drug distribution convictions.

Reach Out to Us Today for Help

A criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges for possession of eutylone or another synthetic cathinone.  Contact FL Drug Defense Group in Orlando, Florida to discuss your case.

Resource:

justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/tampa-man-sentenced-twenty-years-prison-drug-trafficking