Opinion ID: 1101227
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: l-desoxyephedrine is a form of methampheamine and as such is a schedule ii controlled substance, the manufacture of which is prohibited by statute.

Text: ¶ 5. Although other state and federal courts have addressed the issue presented in the instant case, it now comes to Mississippi on first impression. After closely reviewing the position of other jurisdictions concerning this matter, we find the conclusion reached by other jurisdictions is proper. Therefore, it is our opinion that the lower court did not err in finding that the act of boiling Vicks Inhalers constitutes the illegal manufacture of a Schedule II controlled substance. ¶ 6. Mississippi Code Annotated Section 41-29-115(c)(Supp.1998) lists the following as Schedule II controlled substances: [a]ny material, compound, mixture, or preparation which contains any quantity of the following substances: (1) Amphetamine, its salts, optical isomers, and salts of its optical isomers ... Further, any sale, manufacture, or possession of a schedule II controlled substance is prohibited by Miss.Code Ann. § 41-29-139 (Supp.1998). ¶ 7. Crosswhite argues that the lower court was incorrect in labeling the act of boiling Vicks Inhalers as the manufacture of methamphetamine because l-desoxyephedrine is a form of methamphetamine which is exempt by statute in Mississippi. In support of his argument, he relies on Miss.Code Ann. § 41-29-122 (1993), which reads: Any material, compound, mixture or preparation which contains any quantity of a controlled substance and is listed as an exempt substance in 21 C.F.R., section 1308.22, shall be exempted from the provisions of the Uniform Controlled Substances Law. Section 1308.22 of the Code of Federal Regulations excludes certain nonnarcotic products from the controlled substance list and designates for each product a company name, trade name, controlled substance contained therein, and the specific quantity of the controlled substance which may lawfully be present in the product. Both the Vicks Inhaler and l-desoxyephedrine are specifically descheduled by 21 C.F.R. § 1308.22. ¶ 8. Since the form of methamphetamine in Vicks Inhalers, l-desoxyephedrine, is exempt from controlled substance status and no statute states that the act of boiling the inhalers in water removes the product from its exempt status, Crosswhite argues that finding him guilty of a crime which is not defined by statutory law violates his due process rights. However, Crosswhite's argument is flawed because the substance formed after boiling the contents of a Vicks Inhaler in water is quite dissimilar from the substance sold over the counter as the Vicks Inhaler. Grady Downy, an expert in the field of forensic science, testified at trial that although the molecular composition of l-desoxyephedrine is not altered by boiling the substance in water, the small amount of l-desoxyephedrine contained in each Vicks Inhaler does not evaporate during the boiling process; thus, when many Vicks Inhalers are boiled the active ingredient is compounded and it is then possible to use a stronger concentration of l-desoxyephedrine at once than would have been possible through the use of the Vicks Inhaler. He further opined that the reason l-desoxyephedrine is exempt when contained in the isomer mix forming the Vicks Inhaler is the slight chance for abuse due to lack of potency. ¶ 9. In United States v. Walker, 960 F.2d 409 (5th Cir.1992), the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals addressed an argument which mirrors that asserted by Crosswhite. Relying on precedent established in United States v. Martinez , the Fifth Circuit ruled that the methamphetamine found in Vicks Inhalers is a regulated controlled substance, stating [A]lthough the DEA descheduled... Vicks Inhaler, the DEA did not deschedule all forms of methamphetamine, and thus, `methamphetamine is still properly classified as a schedule II controlled substance.' Walker, 960 F.2d at 414 ( quoting United States v. Martinez, 950 F.2d 222, 224 (5th Cir.1991)). In so concluding, the Fifth Circuit expressly followed the decisions of the Eighth [1] and Ninth Circuits. ¶ 10. Regarding the exemption of Vicks Inhalers pursuant to 21 C.F.R. § 1308.22, the Ninth Circuit reasoned that [t]he mere inclusion of a controlled substance [l-desoxyephedrine] as an ingredient in a nonnarcotic nonprescription drug [Vicks Inhaler] does not alter its status under the Controlled Substances Act. United States v. Durham, 941 F.2d 886, 889-90 (9th Cir. 1991). Methamphetamine is properly categorized as a schedule II controlled substance regardless of whether it enjoys exemption from this status when combined with other ingredients to form a Vicks Inhaler. Durham, 941 F.2d at 889 ( citing United States v. Kendall, 887 F.2d 240 (9th Cir.1989); United States v. Jones, 852 F.2d 1235 (9th Cir.1988)). The Ninth Circuit noted that there is no conflict in listing methamphetamine as a Schedule II controlled substance and excluding the same as a controlled substance when in the form of a Vicks Inhaler. Id. at 890. The statute prohibiting the possession or manufacture of methamphetamine and the federal regulation exempting methamphetamine when in the form of the Vicks Inhaler coexist, as each serves a distinct function. This is illustrated by the fact that a person in possession of a Vicks Inhaler could raise 21 C.F.R. § 1308.22 as a defense to a charge of possession of methamphetamine because the form of methamphetamine found in the Vicks Inhaler, when mixed with other ingredients in the inhaler, is exempt under § 1308.22. However, the possessor of methamphetamine such as that found in the cotton swabs after all other ingredients have evaporated is not shielded by the exemption provided to the Vicks Inhaler. After all, it is no longer a Vicks Inhaler in the person's possession. Accordingly, the Ninth Circuit concluded that the proposed interpretation of the regulation is inconsistent with the structure of the statutory and administrative scheme and, therefore, must fail. Id. ¶ 11. The logic of federal and state courts which have analyzed the argument presented by Crosswhite is sound. Crosswhite did not possess the combination of ingredients which collectively form the Vicks Inhaler, but had reduced these ingredients into another form which is not exempted by 21 C.F.R. § 1308.22. The substance Crosswhite possessed is prohibited as a controlled substance by Miss. Code Ann. § 41-29-115(c). Therefore, due to the express statutory language prohibiting the production of a schedule II controlled substance, there is no need for a statute expressly prohibiting the boiling of such substances. No due process violation occurred in the present case.