Synthetic Weed Isn't Cannabis, It's Poison. !!
Washington DC- Over the past 10 days 261 people have been hospitalized for synthetic drug overdoses. According to DC health officials synthetic marijuana, also known as K2 or Spice is believed to be responsible.
The drug can sell for as little as $2 per pack, and local authorities are warning that a potentially 'fatal batch has hit the streets.
Over the past 10 days, the D.C. fire department has transported 261 people for synthetic drug overdoses. In that same period, another 100+ people were treated but not taken to hospitals. To put that number in perspective last year, July 2017, only 107 people were taken to the hospital for overdoses.
Chief Medical Examiner for the city Roger A. Mitchell Jr. is suggested the possibility that the drug could also be responsible for as many as four recent deaths. And "The District is not the only city having this problem" Mitchell said.
In New York City from July 2015-2016 there were more than 6,000 emergency room visits and two confirmed deaths related to synthetic cannabinoids. The first Wisconsin death linked to fake weed, K2 was just confirmed not even 24 hours ago. In Wisconsin 45 people have been hospitalized for using synthetic cannabis so far this year.
What exactly is K2 ?
Answer: "These are synthetic compounds that bind to the same receptor in the body and brain as THC, the most psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. In fact, they can have really different structures from THC. The first synthetic cannabinoids were produced as tools for us to investigate the the endogenous cannabinoid system. This system is important for critical functions such as temperature control, hunger and reproduction. It plays very important roles in the brain for executive function, which is what we use to take in information from the environment, evaluate it, and determine a course of action. The researchers who figured out how make these synthetics published their findings in scientific journals and illicit manufacturers learned from those articles." ~ Marilyn A. Huestis professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and former chief of chemistry and drug metabolism at the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
First developed in the lab of a Clemson University chemist, John W. Huffman, K2’s active ingredients are synthetic cannabinoids — research-grade chemicals that were created for therapeutic purposes but can also mimic the narcotic effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. In a statement in The New York Times, Mr. Huffman said the chemicals were not intended for human use. He added that his lab had developed them for research purposes only, and that “their effects in humans have not been studied and they could very well have toxic effects.”
_"A deadly new strain of has hit the streets"according to Dr. Jenifer Smith, director of DC's Department of Forensic Sciences.
"They're all very, extremely dangerous, and part of what makes this dangerous is as you buy this product, you don't know what's in there," Dr. Smith told NBC Washington.
EMERGENCY ALERT:
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) July 20, 2018
A potentially fatal batch of K2 has hit the streets of DC. Smoking or ingesting K2 or "Spice" may lead to overdose or death. Avoid at all costs.
Things to remember:
1. Stay Hydrated 🥤
2. Seek Treatment 🏥
3. If you SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING! Call 911 🚨 pic.twitter.com/ET4SW77ylP
Last week, large groups of people overdosed on city sidewalks, some as little as a block from police headquarters. Many of the overdoses have occurred near homeless shelters. Spice is easily found and cheaper than cannabis. This is another example of why the war on drugs is a complete failure. If weed was legal there would be no reason for synthetic marijuana to exist. Mainly people use spice for these three reasons; they do not want to get in trouble, it's cheap, and they do not want to fail a drug test.
K2/Spice is still legal in 40 states. It was available in bulk on Amazon until 2011, and is still widely available online. In most jurisdictions commercially packaged synthetic marijuana is frowned upon but there are no active restrictions being enforced by police. Spice is inexpensive, extremely cheap when compared to marijuana, making it a very attractive substitute for both poor and young people. Most spice overdoses occur in low income environments, public housing, around homeless shelters, lower class neighborhoods. Young people do not have much money especially today. Nationwide there were 28,531 ER visits were linked to synthetic cannabinoids in 2011. 30% percent of these visits were females and 70 percent involved males. And 78% percent of these visits involved adolescents young adults between the ages of 12-29. Naturally seeing that the numbers show that synthetic marijuana is being intentionally marketed to kids, their target demographic being teenage boys. It's sold in colorful packets with brand names like Kush, Ultra, and Scooby Snax, depicting the cartoon character Scooby Doo's with a high expression, or shiny black with a yellow foil radioactive symbol labeled "super strong", these dangerous poisons are being legally marketed to children. Since the drug is not federally regulated, it also dodges traditional drug tests. John Byrom, a community collaboration and prevention specialist with the North Coastal Prevention Coalition in Southern California, says, “It is everywhere.” According to Byrom the Marine Corps has seen an increase in reported cases of Marines and Sailors using K2 and other equally dangerous substances such as salvia, and notes that many of these substances are not illegal under federal or state laws and are easily obtained.
Synthetic Weed Isn't Cannabis, It's Poison. Government prohibition is the reason why these dangerous chemicals are on the streets, back rooms deals and the desire for taxation are why these poisonous substances are allowed to be sold publicly, and marketed towards children. Whether you believe in agenda 21, shadow government, blame capitalism, how ever you feel about this situation its very important that you take some action, if you can't share this article, then at least inform some of your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and for Gods sake your children about how dangerous this stuff is. I might even go as far as threatening store owners who sell it, or destroying their supply. I would never harm a person unless in self defense of course violence and coercion are not the answer and neither is prohibition. The solution like with most things is education and raising awareness to the issues. Thank you for reading. I salute you.