Health officials in Mississippi and Alabama say they’ve handled over 300 cases or suspected cases of “spice” overdoses in their emergency rooms over the last month.
Synthetic marijuana, also known as “spice”, is illegal in the United States but still sold in some convenience stores. Officials in Mississippi say the drug has caused 227 emergency room visits since April 2, while Alabama officials have dealt with 98 “suspicious” emergency room visits in the past month that doctors believe were the results of “spice”, according to abcnews.com.
Health officials said the drug contains many unpredictable chemicals and can result in comas, seizures, hallucinations, increased heart rate, suicidal thoughts and rage. Its long term effects are unknown.
New Hampshire health officials declared a state of emergency in August 2014 after the drug caused 20 hospital visits in the span of a few days. Earlier this month in Virginia a woman died and six others were hospitalized in the same weekend because of the drug.
