The Legislature finds and declares that the laws of this state which prohibit the possession, possession for sale, offer for sale, sale, manufacturing, and transportation of controlled substances are being circumvented by the commission of those acts with respect to analogs of specified controlled substances which have, are represented to have, or are intended to have effects on the central nervous system which are substantially similar to, or greater than, the controlled substances classified in Sections 11054 and 11055 and the synthetic cannabinoid compounds defined in Section 11357.5, of which they are analogs. These analogs have been synthesized by so-called “street chemists” and imported into this state from other jurisdictions as precursors to, or substitutes for, controlled substances and synthetic cannabinoid compounds, due to the nonexistence of applicable criminal penalties. These analogs present grave dangers to the health and safety of the people of this state. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that a controlled substance or controlled substance analog, as defined in Section 11401, be considered identical, for purposes of the penalties and punishment specified in Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 11350), to the controlled substance in Section 11054 or 11055 or the synthetic cannabinoid compound defined in Section 11357.5 of which it is an analog.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 561, Sec. 113. (AB 1516) Effective January 1, 2018.)