LANSING, MI (AP)-- New Michigan laws are intended to stop people from buying small amount of medicine from numerous stores to illegally make the drug methamphetamine.
One law prohibits buying or possessing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine knowing it will be used to cook meth. Another law makes it a crime to ask another person to buy ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, ingredients in cold medicine.
The laws are meant to crack down on "smurfs" — people who buy cold medicine for drug ringleaders to use in meth production.
Governpr Rick Snyder signed the bills last week. He's also expected to soon sign related measures requiring law enforcement to report meth-related convictions to a national database. The goal is generating stop-sale alerts to pharmacies for people convicted of meth crimes.
The laws take effect in January.