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Synthetic drug U-47700 moves to schedule one classification

Posted at 11:08 PM, Nov 22, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-23 08:28:51-05

A synthetic drug called U-47700 is on its away to be categorized with heroin, LSD and cocaine. 

In April, News 5 had an exclusive on U-47700, an opioid that is eight times more potent than morphine after it took the life of a Lake County 29-year-old in January. At the time, the drug was so new that chemists at the Lake County Crime Lab had to figure out exactly what it was. 

In May, Governor Kasich signed an executive order to make U-47700 a controlled substance and now lawmakers have gone one step further in making it a schedule one drug. 

Making U-47700 a schedule one drug puts it in the same class as heroin, LSD, and cocaine. Doug Rohde from the Lake County Crime Lab told News 5 he believes the April story saved lives.

So far at least 31 deaths across the country have been attributed to U-47700.