Owen Sound Police have seized what they suspect is more of the designer drug known as “bath salts.”
The Criminal Investigation Branch and the High Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) executed a search warrant on Monday night at a home on 13th Street West.
Police seized five ounces of suspected bath salts — the same substance that hospitalized at least five people over the last week.
Police also found a .22 calibre rifle, ammunition, drug paraphernalia and a small quantity of marijuana and codeine.
The male resident was not home at the time — and police are seeking a warrant for his arrest to charge him with possession of drugs and firearms.
Detective Sergeant Mark Kielb tells Bayshore Broadcasting News they have learned the substance is not regulated in Canada.
Therefore, they can not charge someone with bath salts with drug possession.
But Kielb says the substance varies in their makeup and some of the ingredients could be illegal — so they will continue to test the substance when seized.
The bath salts seized on Monday are being sent to Health Canada for analysis and other charges are pending.
The 14 grams of bath salts seized in Owen Sound last week has been identified as MDPV (methylenedioxypyrovalerone).
The drug is more common in the U-S and is banned in several U-S States.
Police continue to warn the public against ingesting this drug — since its side-effects are dangerous and include severe hallucinations and paranoia, erratic, aggressive, and violent behaviour. elevated heart rate, sweating, hypertension and suicidal thoughts.
