Almost 120 People Overdose On Synthetic Marijuana.

Casper law enforcement have done an incredible job of getting synthetic marijuana off the streets of Casper where the fake pot drug known as Spice or Special K have sent many to emergency rooms and psych wards. In Texas there has been a glut of hospitalizations from the drugs use. "Synthetic marijuana brands including “K2” and “Spice” have become a major public health concern after teenagers started to turn to this chemically altered substitute in place of real pot, since it's easily obtained over the Internet and at gas stations. During a period of five days, upward of 120 people across the state of Texas overdosed as a result of smoking synthetic marijuana.At this time no deaths related to the inhalation of synthetic marijuana have been reported, and cases have been localized to the Dallas and Austin areas. State police have confirmed that the sale of the drug likely originated with a Dallas supplier. Police are also investigating if the pot substitute may have been laced with another drug, and toxicology reports will confirm if all overdoses were related to the same batch.“We don't know what they are putting into these synthetic drugs," Dr. James d'Etienne of Baylor Medical Center, where most of patients who overdosed on synthetic marijuana were taken, told WFAA "Several of them came in with similar symptoms of psychosis, altered mental status, abnormal behavior - ranged from very sedated to an agitated state”

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, synthetic marijuana products such as K2 and Spice contain dried plant material mixed with designer chemical additives that cause mind-altering effects. Although the Drug Enforcement Administration has currently banned the sale, purchase, and possession of Spice by designating its five common active ingredients as Schedule I controlled substances, controlling it is still made difficult by synthetic marijuana manufacturers who change the compound to include other ingredients that may be more deadly and addictive.

Some of the side effects of synthetic marijuana use reported to Poison Control Centers include increased heart rate, nausea, confusion, anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations.