Bolstered 'spice' ban passes Senate

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - It's been called the most important law being passed this session and it started with an I-Team 8 investigation .

A bill that unanimously passed the Indiana Senate strengthening Indiana's law banning synthetic drugs is on its way to the governor's desk.

It allows the state to try to keep up with the makers of these so-called bath salts and spice by banning new chemical compounds as they surface.

The existing law only banned certain compounds, but an I-Team 8 investigation exposed how the drug makers would create and legally sell new compounds.

Senator Jim Merritt, the bill’s sponsor, says there will still be challenges ahead when trying to keep synthetic drugs from being sold.

“Next we've got to talk about … making sure all this junk or poison, these drugs, have a drop off spot so they're no longer on retailer shelves,” he explained. “We've also got to figure out who’s making it and distributing it. There is a lot here more to be done and we've got to be continually vigilant.”

A local lab tells I-Team 8 dozens of deaths have been connected to the synthetic drugs here in Indiana and in other states.

The law takes effect immediately after being signed. We'll stay on it to see how it's being enforced.