Medical emergencies related to the use of synthetic marijuana have recently spiked in New York, sending many to the hospital.
Syracuse.com reported that last week The Upstate Poison Control Center received 51 calls related to the drug in a 72-hour period, and that 160 people across the state have been hospitalized since April 8 with related symptoms.
"Synthetic drugs are anything but harmless, and this rash of severe health emergencies across the state is direct proof," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement late last week.
According to Forbes, synthetic marijuana often consists of an herbal product sprayed with chemicals. The DEA labeled them a banned Schedule I drug in 2010, but some headshops, bodegas, and the like continue to sell the product illegally.
Some patients who called for medical help or came into emergency rooms reported that they'd used the product before with no adverse symptoms, which has led many to believe there was a change in the chemical composition of a recent batch. Across the nation, some have overdosed and died after using synthetic marijuana.
Many people who've used the synthetic drug recently have experienced severe agitation, violent behavior, anxiety and, in some cases, seizures. Many seeking help had to be restrained and given sedatives.
The rash of bad drugs came just before the unofficial pot-smokers' holiday, April 20 or 4/20, which was celebrated legally in states like Colorado and Washington, and illegally elsewhere.
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