You may have heard of K2 or “Spice,” a pair of terms for synthetic marijuana — or more appropriately, synthetic cannabinoids — which is growing in popularity. Some find them tempting substitutes for traditional weed because these drugs aren’t technically illegal in many places. People who undergo drug testing can consume synthetic marijuana because there’s no law saying you can’t — and that in turn makes the product cheaper and easier to get. Sounds like a sweet deal, right? Continue reading What Is Synthetic Weed and Why Is It Bad for You?
Progress against Chinese chemists selling dangerous synthetic drugs in US
China’s ban on certain chemicals is being credited by Drug Enforcement Administration officials in a noticeable decrease in certain synthetic drugs in the United States.
Police encounters with six substances that were part of China’s 115-chemical ban have dropped dramatically (PDF) since it took effect in October, DEA numbers show.
Continue reading Progress against Chinese chemists selling dangerous synthetic drugs in US
20 Synthetic Drug Overdoses Per Day Spark New Legislation
Synthetic drug overdoses sent more people to D.C. emergency rooms in September than heart attacks, car accidents or strokes, a new report shows.
Although recreational marijuana has been largely decriminalized for adults in the District, dangerous designer synthetic cannabinoids that are sold over the counter at gas stations and bodegas not only remain rampant but are causing more calls to first responders than other major medical emergencies combined.
This significant increase of synthetic drug emergencies handled by D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services (FEMS) has sparked new legislation with stiff penalties for stores caught selling synthetic marijuana.
Read the full story.
Local Drug-Free World Chapters Distribute The Truth About Drugs Materials at Regional Synthetic Drugs Symposium
Volunteers from the D.C., Maryland and Virginia Drug-Free World Chapters came together to staff an information table at a recent Synthetic Drugs Symposium event held at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.
D.C. Hospitals to Test Anyone With Synthetic Drug Use Symptoms
NBC4 in D.C. reports that due to a spike in hospital visits for suspected synthetic drug overdoses, D.C. hospitals will now do blood and urine tests on anyone who appears to have taken the dangerous drugs.
The emergency rules, that went into effect the first week of August, 2015, require hospitals to collect blood and urine samples from patients who “present and have symptoms consistent with having taken a synthetic cannabinoid,” the D.C. Department of Health announced Tuesday.
The unregulated, highly addictive synthetic drugs can cause psychotic episodes, aggressive behavior and seizures, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.
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D.C. Attorney General to Educate Korean-American Business Owners About Synthetic Drugs
The D.C. Attorney General Racine has announced an agreement with Korean-American Grocers to to educate them on the danger to the community posed by Synthetic Drugs.
CLICK HERE to read the full story at the D.C. Attorney General website.
11 People Overdose on Synthetic Drug ‘Bizarro’ in Downtown D.C.
NBC News4 in D.C. that at least 11 people overdosed in early June on a synthetic drug known as bizarro, near the Community for Creative Non-Violence at 2nd St. NW.
Firefighters responded to 11 overdoses, with seven people transported to hospitals and three people who refused treatment. Police believe the dangerous drugs were sold at an open-air drug market that plagues the shelter and draws customers from across the region.
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‘Scooby Snax’: 4 homeless adults overdose on synthetic marijuana, or ‘spice’
Four homeless adults remained hospitalized Friday after they were found unresponsive at a makeshift camp in Glen Burnie, Maryland, as a result of ingesting synthetic marijuana, or spice, local police said.
Anne Arundel County police officers said they responded Thursday afternoon to a wooded area near Route 648 (Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard) and Route 10 for a report of an overdose, called in by a witness.
Continue reading ‘Scooby Snax’: 4 homeless adults overdose on synthetic marijuana, or ‘spice’