June 20, 2003 - Sacramento, CA -  Communications with staff of Senator Jackie Speier clarified that she has no intention of removing the exemption from labeling requirements for ephedrine alkaloid containg products.

SB 582 Will Allow Acupuncturists and Others to Continue Prescribing Ephedra without Labeling

SB 582, authored by Senator Jackie Speier, will prohibit the public sale and distributions of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids (e.g. Ma Huang - Ephedra). SB 582 was amended specifically at the request of CAOMA.to exempt acupuncturists and other licensed health care practitioners from its provisions. As introducted, SB 582 would have prohibited anyone, inlcuding acupuncturists, from prescribing Ma Huang formulas. The amendment to SB 582 is nearly identical to the amendments that Speir accepted last year for a bill that established labeling requirements for ephedrine-containing products. However, given that this new bill essentially bans that sale of these products directly to the public, we were concerned that the Senator was intending to remove the exemption to the labeling standards, making dispensing herbs problematic for practitioners.