Synthetic Marijuana Continues Sending Truckloads of Teens to ER

Health officials across the country are worried about the growing number of incidents from abuse of Spice, a drug that is marketed as synthetic marijuana which can be fatal.

Around 1,000 cases of emergency visits by users of Spice or K2 have been reported in the first three weeks of April, twice as many cases reported during rest of the year. The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) claimed that 1,900 cases of exposure were reported between January 1 and April 22 this year.

"They contain powerful chemicals that can cause dangerous health effects. The drugs are made specifically to be abused. Like many other illegal drugs, synthetic marijuana is not tested for safety, and users don't really know exactly what chemicals they are putting into their bodies," the association notes on its website.

Synthetic marijuana contains dried plant material sprayed with chemicals called cannabinoids to mimic effects of cannabis and enhance it.

According to The New York Times, 172 cases were reported on Thursday alone, the highest for a single day this year. Alabama, Mississippi and New York have issued alerts while Arizona, Florida, New Jersey and Texas have witnessed a spurt in cases.

AAPCC listed symptoms of overdose including severe agitation, anxiety, racing heartbeat, higher blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, muscle spasms, seizures, tremors, intense hallucinations, psychotic episodes and suicidal or other harmful thoughts and actions.