Synthetic marijuana possibly linked to 3 deaths

3 deaths may be tied to synthetic marijuana in Colorado

By Jacque Wilson, CNN

updated 11:50 AM EDT, Sat September 7, 2013

-Merrilee Viguers

It’s known as Spice, Mr. Smiley, blaze, and K2 along with many other things, but most don’t know that it may be deadly! Earlier this month reports have shown that three people in Colorado have died and the cause is thought to be synthetic marijuana. This isn’t typical marijuana it’s a blend of plant and herbal materials that have been sprayed with chemicals making this mixture extremely toxic. It is mainly sold through the internet making it easily accessible. In addition, it states that it is “natural” making it seem like a harmless alternative to cannabis. Another myth that had sparked its popularity is the belief that the chemicals used for the mixture don’t show up on standard drug tests. These facts were stated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse as well as the Drug Enforcement Agency.

So far there has been three deaths and 75 hospitalized patients in Colorado as a result of synthetic marijuana; this occurring only in a matter of weeks. The Colorado Department of Public Health has launched an investigation on this potentially life-threatening substance. Like marijuana it produces a euphoric and psychoactive effects, however synthetic marijuana can leave users catatonic and because it’s a newer substance medical professionals don’t have a method of treating an overdose or adverse reaction. The other dangerous fact is that the chemicals used for the substance have a high potential for abuse and unlike marijuana it has no medical benefits. Efforts are being made to make it illegal to buy, sell, or possess the chemical compounds found in synthetic marijuana, but its manufactures are able to change the chemical makeup faster than it takes to enact legislation to forbid them.       

This article is a scary reality for many people. It is an informative piece that bring to attention a harmful drug known as synthetic marijuana. It’s upsetting that something like this was manufactured because it’s giving marijuana a bad reputation which could be a detrimental to its chances of being legalized! It brings forth major questioning that if marijuana gets legalized, will synthetic marijuana use increase? I personally pray that it doesn’t because that drug is extremely dangerous and doesn’t offer a single benefit. I heard about it this summer while at work, a coworker of mine was telling me about his brother’s friend who was hospitalized after smoking synthetic marijuana. I remember being shocked at first because I didn’t know there was such a thing as fake marijuana and that it had the potential to make you very ill. The author’s purpose for this article was to inform readers of a harmful substance known as synthetic marijuana and explain how it’s not the same thing as cannabis. It’s targeted towards all classes mainly middle class American citizens. This article’s audience would most likely be parents, medical professionals, and students. I feel the author hopes that the readers of the article will spread the word on the harmful effects of synthetic marijuana.