BEIJING - The government has strengthened regulations concerning ephedra, the natural source of the drug ephedrine, in order to discourage drug abuse, the Supreme People's Court (SPC) said Wednesday.

The SPC issued a notice on the regulation of ephedra along with the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Food and Drug Administration, defining the application of law for crimes involving ephedra.

Those who harvest or purchase ephedra for the purpose of making drugs will be charged with drug-related crimes, the notice said.

Ephedrine is the primary ingredient in methamphetamine.

SPC spokesman Sun Jungong said making methamphetamine with ephedrine derived from ephedra plants is a new trend in drug-related crime.