Virginia says it will use the sedative midazolam as a drug for lethal injections . Like many U.S. states , Virginia has been forced to find new drugs to use on condemned prisoners after European-based manufacturers banned American prisons from using their drugs in capital punishment . The state of Ohio has said that its execution drugs are not available because they have been used in other states and don't work well on people with severe mental illness. The drug 's manufacturer says it objects to its use in capital punishment .
Virginia says it will use the sedative midazolam as a drug for lethal injections . The state of Ohio has said that its execution drugs are not available because they have been used in other states and don't work well on people with severe mental illness. The drug 's manufacturer says it objects to its use in capital punishment .