Designer Drug Problem Grows In Southeast Oklahoma

Jon Jordan, News 9

ADA, Oklahoma – Authorities from several different law enforcement agencies arrested two Ada convenience store employees accused of selling designer drugs.

Undercover officers purchased what they believed to be synthetic controlled substances from the stores. The stores claimed the substances were "potpourri" or "bath salts" and sold them for $28 to $35 per gram.

"The substances were not displayed, but were kept under the counter or in a part of the store not accessible to the public," District Attorney Chris Ross said.

Ross says officers seized large amounts of cash from both stores and from the homes of the stores' owners. Officers also found several thousand dollars worth of the synthetic controlled substances.

Authorities became aware of the designer drugs while talking with people at drug court, and quickly launched an investigation. The arrests came after two people ingested the drugs they bought at one of the stores, became ill and sought medical treatment.

Ross says falsely calling the drugs "potpourri" or "bath salts" will not protect offenders from prosecution. He issued a warning that his office plans to crack down on the sale of synthetic controlled substances.

These recent arrests come just weeks after two young adults died after overdosing on a synthetic drug called "2C-E" at a party in Konawa. Six other people were hospitalized.

Cody Weddle, the man who sold the synthetic drug to the eight adults, has since been charged with two counts of second-degree murder.