An article shared by Herb, a website that covers cannabis culture, whose Facebook page has more than 9 million followers reported that 89 people in the Chicago area have been hospitalized after consuming synthetic cannabis.
“As of Thursday, April 5th, 89 people have been hospitalized in the city of Chicago and surrounding neighborhoods after ingesting synthetic cannabis known as K2 or Spice,” Herb reported.
The story was also shared by pages such as “Medical Marijuana a New Beginning” and “Cannabis the Truth.” Facebook users flagged the article as possibly blowing smoke, but the reporting from Herb is accurate.
In fact, the number affected by the synthetic cannabinoid products since March has risen to 122 with three people dying from use, the Illinois Department of Public Health reports. Those affected experience severe bleeding throughout the body, including blood in the urine, bleeding in the gums, coughing up blood, and other symptoms. Several cases have tested positive for brodifacoum (aka rat poison).
Synthetic cannabinoids are man-made chemicals that are sometimes sprayed on plants so they can be smoked (there are other ways of ingesting the product, including via vaper).
“Because of this similarity, synthetic cannabinoids are sometimes misleadingly called ‘synthetic marijuana’ (or ‘fake weed’),” the IDPH stated in a recent report. “They are often marketed as safe, legal alternatives to that drug. In fact, they are not safe and may affect the brain much more powerfully than marijuana; their actual effects can be unpredictable and, in some cases, more dangerous or even life-threatening.”
Cases have expanded beyond the Chicago area, appearing in 12 counties throughout Illinois.
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