New bills recently introduced to the Alabama Legislature would make it illegal to possess even one ingredient to make methamphetamines.

As the law now stands, a suspect must possess two or more ingredients.

District attorneys from across the state met in Montgomery on Wednesday to hear from State Sen. Lowell Barron about three bills that would change how methamphetamine producers are prosecuted. According to Dallas County District Attorney Ed Greene, the first bill would allow the prosecution of people who possess only one ingredient needed to make the drug.

Currently, people possessing a single ingredient, or precursor, such as Sudafed, can’t be prosecuted. Their defense would state that weren’t going to make methamphetamine, Greene said.

One bill would change the language of current law making the possession of a substance or substances in any amount with the intent to unlawfully manufacture a controlled substance illegal.

Another bill introduced to the legislature deals with the transfer of ingredients used to make the drug. Ingredients used to make methamphetamine can currently be sold legally even though the seller knows they could be used to make the drug.

The third bill would enable the court to order a methamphetamine maker to pay for the cost of a forensic analysis and the cost of cleaning up an illegal laboratory. &uot;Cleaning up a meth lab is a horrible thing,&uot; Greene said. &uot;They call in the hazardous materials unit team.&uot;

Barron introduced the bills along with several state senators, including Hank Sanders. &uot;In the last two years we have seen this deadly drug spread to epidemic proportions throughout Alabama,&uot; Barron said. &uot;We must do everything we can to stop this deadly drug from destroying our communities and the lives of those associated with it. This is why we are working with law enforcement officers to make tougher laws.&uot;

Greene agreed. &uot;The bills are needed and would help in prosecution,&uot; Greene said. &uot;It’ll clean up the loopholes. There’s no reason to provide a perfect defense to people who know they’re selling precursors to methamphetamine makers.&uot;