California Shadily Acquires Scarce Lethal Injection Drug 2.91K Jeff Neumann 11/08/10 07:40AM Filed to: Death Penalty Death Penalty California Lethal Injection Prison Death Row Sodium thiopental Gettypic The California Department of Corrections somehow managed to get enough sodium thiopental — a drug used in lethal injections — to kill four people, even though the supply has run out across the country. So much for this lucky break.