News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 29, 2003

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue Signs Methamphetamine Legislation

Tougher Laws Will Combat Growing Methamphetamine Production and Use

MAY 29-On May 15, 2003, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue signed into law Senate Bill 205, methamphetamine legislation that strengthens criminal penalties for the manufacture, transfer and possession of methamphetamine and criminalizes the transport of materials used in its illegal manufacture. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge W. Michael Furgason, Sr. was proud to join Governor Perdue at the capitol building for the signing of this important public safety legislation.

Summary Information regarding Methamphetamine Legislation

Georgia's new methamphetamine legislation will:

• Make it a felony offense to steal anhydrous ammonia (a substance commonly used in the production of methamphetamine);
  
• Create the felony offense of possessing anhydrous ammonia with knowledge that it will be used unlawfully to manufacture a controlled substance;
  
• Prohibit the possession and transport of anhydrous ammonia in an unapproved container;
  
• Make it a felony offense to possess any product that contains ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine in an amount that exceeds 300 pills, tablets, capsules or other individual units or more than 9 grams of these substances, whichever is smaller;
  
• Create the felony offense of possessing any amount of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine with the intent of producing methamphetamine;
  
• Create a felony offense to possess, manufacture, deliver, distribute, dispense, administer, purchase, sell or possess with intent to distribute any substance containing any amounts of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine which have been altered from their original form to a powdered, liquefied or crushed form; and
  
• Provide stiffer penalties for trafficking methamphetamine.