Synthetic marijuana left one more person dead in Illinois, bringing the recent death toll to three.
At least 100 people have been left with severe bleeding amid the fake marijuana epidemic.
Shah added: “Synthetic cannabinoids are unsafe. They are not regulated and people don’t know what chemicals may be in them, like rat poison. While efforts are underway to get the contaminated drugs out of circulation, it’s possible they could re-emerge. We urge people not to use synthetic cannabinoids now or ever.”
Chicago convenience store clerks were charged earlier in April will selling synthetic marijuana laced with rat poison, police said.
The IDPH stated that those who reported illness after smoking the substance said they hacked up blood, had bloody noses, suffered bleeding gums, had internal bleeding, or saw blood in their urine.
Synthetic cannabinoids are manmade chemicals that are sprayed on dried plant matter before being smoked. Some synthetic cannabinoids are sold in a liquid to be vaporized.
They’re known on the street as “spice” or “K2.”
“The health effects from using synthetic cannabinoids,” added the IDPH, “can be unpredictable, harmful, and deadly.”
They’re often sold in corner stores, convenience stores, gas stations, and smoke shops. They’re also sold online.
There are misunderstandings about synthetic marijuana, the website says.
“Easy access and the belief that synthetic cannabinoid products are ‘natural’ and therefore harmless, have likely contributed to their use among young people. Another reason for their continued use is that standard drug tests cannot easily detect many of the chemicals used in these products,” it says.
Meanwhile, there have been few studies on how “fake weed” affects the brain, it adds.
The department urges that anyone who is having an adverse reaction to the substance should call 911 or have someone take them to the emergency room.
