Stories about meth often touch on the fact that the drug is difficult to legislate against. Laws and regulations can be circumvented and the technology for manufacturing the drug continues to advance.

This is all chronicled in a Knoxville News Sentinel report. In the excerpt below, it’s clear that Knoxville faces the same problem many as cities (Louisville included)–manufacturers/users from rural counties flock to urban areas where drug stores are more concentrated.

Authorities in Knox County said they deal more with addicts on shopping expeditions than with active labs.

“Our biggest problem right now is people from other counties beating down the pharmacy doors,” Knox County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Chris Bryant said. “We have a pharmacy on every block in Knoxville, and they’ll go to each one. They use homeless people a lot. They’ll pull up outside a rescue mission and say, ‘Who wants to make some money?’ “

Police keep getting better at finding and busting labs. Investigators track sales of pseudoephedrine, the common element in meth-making, and can make arrests simply for possession of enough material to start a lab.

The cooks get better, too. They tweak recipes, keep moving and muster small armies of shoppers to stay supplied.

“It’s a cat-and-mouse game,” said Tommy Farmer, director of the Tennessee Methamphetamine Task Force. “They know we’re on them, so what they did is find other ways to circumvent the law. These are the results.”

The newest recipe – nicknamed “one-pot” or “shake-and-bake” – travels anywhere and fits in a 20-ounce bottle. A one-pot lab and a handful of pseudoephedrine can make enough meth for the next high in less than an hour.