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Synthetic pot isn’t supposed to make your eyes and ears bleed, right? Okay, just double-checking because the Illinois Department of Public Health has warned that since March 7th there have been 70 cases of people in their state have developed severe bleeding, and in two cases, death, after using synthetic pot products.
Oh, it’s also not been just limited to people’s eyes and ears, there have also been reports of extensive bleeding from the noses and gums of users of synthetic marijuana. Fun!
So yeah, if you are in and/or near Illinois, you might want to stay away from fake weed like K2, Mind Trip, Genie, Black Mamba, Bombay Blue, Zohai or Spice.
“Despite the perception that synthetic cannabinoids are safe and a legal alternative to marijuana, many are illegal and can cause severe illness,” wrote IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. “The recent cases of severe bleeding are evidence of the harm synthetic cannabinoids can cause.”
Of the 70 cases reported as of April 3rd, every one of them has required hospitalization for symptoms such as coughing up blood, blood in the urine, severe bloody nose, and/or bleeding gums. Nine of these cases have tested positive for brodifacoum, a lethal anticoagulant often used as a rodenticide, or rat poison.
Rat poison, folks. What a world.
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Of the 70 reported cases, the victims are represented by every age group with 14 people between the ages of 15 and 24, 23 between age 25 and 34, 16 people aged 35 to 54, and six people over the age of 55. There are 11 cases where the age is still pending investigation.
“We continue to see the number of cases rise,” wrote IDPH Director Shah. “IDPH is continuing to work with local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with other partners, to try to identify common products. Without more information, IDPH does not know how much contaminated product is circulating or where. We strongly urge everyone not to use synthetic cannabinoids.”
H/T Gizmodo
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