AUGUSTA, Maine - The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency is asking lawmakers to add acetylfentanyl to the list of outlawed drugs in Maine.
MDEA Director Roy McKinney says the drug was among those seized in a raid last year, and after analysis the agency realized the drug was not illegal under Maine law, even though use is illegal under federal law.
McKinney says it's a loophole that needs to be closed.
"We certainly don't want to be faced with the situation where this drug is being distributed and causes death," McKinney says, "and we have not the ability to prosecute that person for another's death."
McKinney says the drug is similar to the prescription drug fentanyl, a strong pain killer often used as an anesthesia. He says acetylfentanyl use has caused deaths in other states because it is a very strong drug. Studies indicate it is 15 times more potent than heroin.