More than 20 people bled from their eyes and ears after smoking synthetic marijuana
Twenty-two people were hospitalized with bleeding from their eyes and ears after using synthetic drugs, health officials in the US state of Illinois said.
This is the first time severe bleeding has been linked to a class of drugs called cannabinoids, a mixture of hundreds of chemicals that act on the same group of brain cell receptors as the active ingredient in marijuana.
Known as “fake weed,” “K2,” or “spice,” this synthetic marijuana causes “zombie”-like psychotic effects with extreme anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations.
Hundreds of people across the United States have been hospitalized or died as a result of synthetic marijuana in recent years as the medical community struggles to regulate the substance.
The Illinois Department of Public Health has issued a warning about synthetic marijuana after 22 users were hospitalized with severe bleeding from their eyes and ears in recent weeks, and is warning anyone who experiences bleeding or bruising after using synthetic marijuana to seek medical evaluation.
At least four of the 22 cases were due to vitamin K-dependent coagulopathy, a condition that reduces the blood's ability to clot due to vitamin K deficiency.
This condition was previously associated with rat poison poisoning and is more common in animals than in humans.
The new symptom could be the result of a change in the chemical formulation, but it's difficult to say without knowing the exact ingredients in the product, said IDPH spokesperson Melaney Arnold.
Manufacturers may be tweaking the formulations of these products to avoid statewide bans and allow them to be sold legally.
People hospitalized with bleeding eyes and ears admitted to using synthetic marijuana, but its source is unknown.
Most of the cases have been reported in the Chicago area, but authorities warn the tainted products may be sold statewide.
“While synthetic cannabinoids are perceived as safe and a legal alternative to marijuana, many products are illegal and can cause serious illness,” said IDPH Director Dr. Nirav Shah. “Recent cases of severe bleeding are evidence of the harmful effects of synthetic cannabinoids.”
The health effects of synthetic cannabinoid use can be unpredictable, dangerous, and life-threatening because it is difficult to know what they contain and how users will react to them.
Previous studies have linked the drug to symptoms including seizures, vomiting, chest pain, heart problems, kidney damage and brain damage.
Since 2015, hundreds of people across the United States have overdosed and been hospitalized.
hospital after smoking too much or using poor quality batches of synthetic marijuana.
K2 has long been sold in stores, packaged in bright packaging and stamped “not for human consumption.”
Government agencies have finally begun to crack down on illegal drugs.
What is synthetic cannabis?
Synthetic cannabis contains man-made chemicals that act on the same group of cell receptors in the brain as THC in natural cannabis.
Manufacturers began selling synthetic smokeable marijuana in the early 2000s, marketing them as "safe" alternatives to marijuana that don't show up on drug tests.
They consist of a mixture of plant materials – herbs or spices, hence the name “spice” – sprayed with chemicals to mimic the effects of cannabis and other cannabinoids.
But in general, chemicals have very different dangerous effects.
Spice and K2 can cause seizures, nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, and erratic, even violent behavior.
