While the Food and Drug Administration has finally taken steps to close a regulatory loophole regarding “poppers” and amyl nitrate, at the 11th hour, right before President Donald Trump’s FDA commissioner has taken office, it hasn’t advanced significant regulatory action on illicit marketing and abuse of nitrous oxide.
Nitrous oxide (also referred to as laughing gas) has a clinical use as a sedative in dentistry and medicine, but it is also available without a prescription as a tool to increase the octane levels of gasoline in automobile racing and for culinary purposes as a propellant for confections such as whipped cream.
Much like THC and hallucinogenic compounds, disposable containers of nitrous oxide gas can be purchased by anyone. A loophole permits manufacturers to sell these disposable containers of nitrous oxide beyond traditional…
