Targeting Transnational Drug Trafficking Act of 2011 passed by US Senate

Ahhh snap!  According to United States Senate, the boys and gals at the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration just got "additional tools to target extraterritorial drug trafficking activity".  Yesterday, December 15, they passed Senate Bill 1612 (aka Targeting Transnational Drug Trafficking Act of 2011) introduced by Senators Gloria Feinstein (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Robert Casey (D-PA), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).    Basically, this makes it a crime to manufacture or distribute a chemical knowing or intending for its import into the United States specifically within 12 nautical miles of the US.  What does that mean?  Let's say, you distribute HU-210 (synthetic cannabis) which is "100 to 800 times more potent than natural THC".  Given the knowledge of its Schedule I status, any chemicals found to be used in its creation could become prosecutable.  The manufacturers of these compounds have also won themselves at the defense table along with you.  If enforced, this might have a profound impact on loophole-savvy "legal pot" storefronts.

Here's the text of the bill being sent now to the House of Representatives:

Section 1009 of the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (21 U.S.C. 959) is amended

(1) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections (c) and (d), respectively; and (2) in subsection (a), by striking `It shall' and all that follows and inserting the following: `It shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture or distribute a controlled substance in schedule I or II or flunitrazepam or a listed chemical intending, knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe that such substance or chemical will be unlawfully imported into the United States or into waters within a distance of 12 miles of the coast of the United States.(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture or distribute a listed chemical--`(1) intending or knowing that the listed chemical will be used to manufacture a controlled substance; and `(2) intending, knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe that the controlled substance will be unlawfully imported into the United States.'.

Do you think this will do anything to stymie the tide of illegal drug traffic into the United States or must we attempt remedy our ever-growing appetite for these drugs?   Let me know what you think in the comments section.