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Former Attorney General Mark Shurtleff attended Tuesday's state liquor commission meeting, working as legal counsel for a new Orem-based business he owns with his brother.
Shurtleff and younger brother Kevin Shurtleff were requesting a special manufacturing permit for Now Neutraceuticals, which plans to make small aerosol inhalers that can quickly introduce different compounds — such as caffeine — into the lungs.
The inhaling solution includes a negligible amount of alcohol but still requires a special alcohol-use permit, which was unanimously approved by the five-member commission.
Earlier this year, Mark Shurtleff, who served 12 years as attorney general, was charged with 10 felonies, including receiving or soliciting bribes, accepting gifts, tampering with witnesses and evidence, and participating in a pattern of unlawful conduct. His successor, John Swallow, was charged with similar crimes. The two have maintained their innocence.
Shurtleff has been helping with trademark and other legal issues associated with launching the inhaler, his brother said.
During the meeting, Mark Shurtleff briefly introduced his younger brother, who also holds a doctorate in chemistry, as the creator of the inhaler. Then he sat down and let his sibling explain how the inhalers with caffeine will offer an immediate energy boost "with one little puff."
"You can feel the effects immediately," Kevin Shurtleff said, adding that most people would find that preferable to downing a large energy drink that takes 15 minutes or more to take effect.