, ▁stopped ▁s elling ▁it ▁to ▁US ▁states ▁that ▁imp ose ▁the ▁death ▁penalty . ▁US ▁distrib utors ▁of ▁the ▁drug ▁are ▁forb idden ▁by ▁the ▁owner ▁to ▁sell ▁it ▁to ▁any ▁customers , ▁such ▁as ▁several ▁state ▁authorities , ▁that ▁practice ▁or ▁particip ate ▁in ▁execution s ▁of ▁humans . ▁ ▁Texas ▁began ▁using ▁pent obar b ital ▁for ▁executing ▁death - row ▁in m ates ▁by ▁le th al ▁injection ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁pent obar b ital ▁has ▁been ▁considered ▁by ▁several ▁states , ▁including ▁Ohio , ▁Arizona , ▁Id aho , ▁and ▁Washington ; ▁those ▁states ▁made ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁switch ▁following ▁short ages ▁of ▁pan cur on ium ▁b rom ide , ▁a ▁mus cle ▁par al yt ic ▁previously ▁used ▁as ▁one ▁component ▁in ▁a ▁three - d rug ▁co ck tail . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Missouri ▁changed ▁its ▁protocol s ▁to ▁allow ▁for ▁a ▁comp ounded ▁pent obar b ital ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁a ▁le th al ▁do se ▁for ▁execution s ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁first ▁used ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁US ▁Att orney ▁General ▁William ▁Bar r ▁directed ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁to ▁res ume ▁capital ▁pun ishment ▁after ▁ 1 6 ▁years . ▁The ▁drug ▁of ▁choice ▁for ▁these ▁execution s ▁is ▁pent obar b ital . ▁ ▁Met abol