johnny lewisGood lord, what kind of drugs was he on?! That was my first question when I heard about Sons of Anarchy actor Johnny Lewis allegedly strangling his elderly landlady (and dismembering her cat) before falling to his death from the roof of her house. I mean, forget wondering if he was on drugs at all -- a person would have to be under the influence of some mind-altering substance to commit THAT horrific a crime. But what mind-altering substance could make someone choke the life out of an old woman, literally tear a cat apart -- and then jump off a roof?

I kind of figured bath salts would end up being to blame (especially because witnesses say Lewis exhibited "super-human strength" trying to fight off neighbors right after the murder), but the latest reports point to an entirely different illegal substance which goes by the name of ... "Smiles."

Have you ever heard of this stuff? I hadn't until today, but it seems Smiles, or phenethylamine 2C-1, has been around for awhile: A chemically altered amphetamine, Smiles is theoretically similar to Ecstacy (MDMA); made in illegal labs, Smiles is perhaps most similar to bath salts. Neither Smiles nor bath salts (both known as "designer drugs") is regulated, so users never really know what they're getting -- the strength, what kind of high it might produce, potential side effects.

Scary. Of course Lewis, who was raised as a Scientologist, had his share of other serious problems -- bipolar disorder and possibly "psychopathy" -- which also could have played a part in the alleged murder-suicide. And since toxicology reports aren't ready yet, we can't say for sure if Smiles or any other drug was involved.

We can only hope to prevent this kind of tragedy from ever occurring again.

Have you ever heard of the drug Smiles?


Image via David Shankbone/Flickr