Officials in Illinois have linked synthetic cannabinoids to 56 different cases of severe bleeding. All of the users were hospitalized after using synthetic cannabinoids because they coughed up blood, found blood in their urine, and had excessive bleeding from nose and gums. Two users died.
In several cases, the synthetic cannabinoids were cut with brodifacoum, also known as rat poison.
Officials are struggling to find the source of the synthetic cannabinoids outbreak. They have not seen a case of severe bleeding from synthetic cannabinoids on this scale before. The number of cases seems to keep rising.
The cases are spread among three different counties.
The health department is involved but cannot identify where the synthetic cannabis is coming from, how much is circulating, or where it is coming from.
Synthetic cannabinoids today are generally made overseas and are laced with different chemicals that can be unsafe.
Synthetic cannabinoids are human made. They are made of mind altering chemicals that are sprayed on to a dried plant leaf. These chemicals are sold as liquids so they can be used in e-cigarettes and vapes.
These chemicals are found in the marijuana plant. Sellers market synthetic cannabinoids as a legal and safer alternative to weed. In reality, they are not safe. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, they are unpredictable and have a more powerful effect on the brain. They have been found to be more dangerous than marijuana and even life-threatening.
Most of the time the synthetic cannabinoids will be labeled as “natural” but tests show that they are not natural and have in fact been altered by chemicals in a laboratory.
Between 2010 and 2015, the number of poisonings from synthetic cannabinoids skyrocketed, revealing 456 cases.
Manufacturers sell these products in colorful packages in an effort to attract consumers. They used to be very easy to buy and found everywhere. Authorities have since made them illegal to sell, buy, or possess because they have no medical benefit and a high potential for abuse. However, people go around these laws by changing their chemical formulas and continuing to sell.
Synthetic cannabinoids are commonly smoked in a dry plant material. Many also brew it as tea or vaporize it.
The chemicals have the same effect on the brain as THC, the mind-altering ingredient in marijuana. Researchers believe that the chemical concoction has a stronger bond with the brain and produces stronger effects than THC.
The chemicals in synthetic cannabinoids are different in every batch. That is part of what makes them so dangerous. Consumers never know what they could be cut with.
It is a misconception that synthetic cannabinoid products are harmless. They are NOT and can cause extreme symptoms and even death. People should be wary of them and do research before buying them.