Number hospitalized for synthetic marijuana rising sharply
Hospitalizations for ingestion of synthetic marijuana have risen dramatically in recent months, and nearly half of those affected were teens, The Detroit News reported.
K2 is one of several brands of synthetic marijuana
Kelley McCall | The Associated Press
In 2011, synthetic marijuana led to about 220 hospitalizations in Michigan, the newspaper reported. Of those hospitalized, 150 were 19 and younger. At least 183 have been hospitalized this year for synthetic marijuana, and 91 of those were teens, according to the article.
Meanwhile, residents in the Pinckney area met Thursday to raise awareness of synthetic marijuana and talk about ways to combat its sale, the Brighton Press and Argus reported.
A nonprofit organization in the community, Livingston County Community Alliance hopes to provide positive publicity to businesses that don’t sell synthetic marijuana and plans to organize picketing at establishments that do, the newspaper reported.
Comments
snapshot
Mon, May 28, 2012 : 6:30 a.m.
The societal costs of drug enforcement just keep climbing. The "criminal" aspect of marijuana is how law enforcement and the justice department capitalize and profit from the damage they cause with "enforcement".
Joe_Citizen
Mon, May 28, 2012 : 3:18 a.m.
all substances come frome some kind of plant, why does it always have to be pot.
MarcoMagic
Sun, May 27, 2012 : 11:48 p.m.
It should never have become illegal in the first place. Has everything to do with power and money and nothing to do with right and wrong http://www.otcmagic.com/why-did-marijuana-become-illegal-in-the-1st-place
MRSCHISOLM
Sun, May 27, 2012 : 5:03 p.m.
GOOD THEY NEED TO BAN THAT MESS. IT IS NOT SAFE AT ALL AND NEVER SHOULD OF BEEN LEGALIZED IN ANY STATE
jusayin
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 3:41 p.m.
oops! Re: above I meant Sterno, not stern...gotta get the "o" fixed on keyboard. sorry:)
Peter
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 4:18 p.m.
I thought it was funnier as a dig on cheap whiskey too.
Wilford John Presler IV
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 4:06 p.m.
...well at least I can stop looking for "stern and croaks" as a cheap alternative for my Crown Royal...
jusayin
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 3:04 p.m.
Can we please all get a life and stop calling this poison "Synthetic Marijuana"??? If a person drinks stern and croaks will the headlines read "man dies drinking synthetic Crown Royal"?
alex
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 3:42 p.m.
Perfect comment.
BhavanaJagat
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 2:56 p.m.
FINDING SATISFACTION IN LIFE : This story is simply reported as a 'news' topic while it deals with the health and well-being of young people. I do hope this topic will be considered at the proposed Health Symposium that is planning to discuss the problem related to prescription drugs that are being abused. The fundamental issue is that of finding satisfaction in our human living experience. I would call this as a problem of spiritual well-being and we will be able to help people if we understand the spiritual nature of man.
Homeland Conspiracy
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 12:28 p.m.
I'm sticking with corn silk
AnnArborite33
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 11:02 a.m.
get this garbage out of the stores
alex
Sun, May 27, 2012 : 12:15 p.m.
yeah, and legalize the real stuff.
AAW
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 10:45 a.m.
I wonder if it has something to do with all the tv news and press?
james
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 6:42 a.m.
Thing is, I've been smoking spice for a couple years now on a daily bases, and I have never had a single negative side-effect other than feeling pretty stoned. I have smoked it with literally hundreds of people, whom have also NEVER had a single negative side-effect. So.. when i read the news about this stuff, i can't help thinking it's just a bunch of noobs who can't handle their drugs. Seriously, Spice is sooooo incredibly harmless.
alex
Sun, May 27, 2012 : 12:15 p.m.
@stevek, i meant one of the seven cases i've witnessed and you're right about it being almost 15% ... but there's many more cases per day where someone comes in with a problem directly related to alcohol, so they might as well make that illegal too, correct?
alex
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 3:41 p.m.
also... i wish spice was as cool as DMT, i'd like to be able to get my hands on that.
alex
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 3:40 p.m.
west of main... how is "spice" even comparable to DMT?? I'd like to know what world you're living in.
West of Main
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 3:16 p.m.
In my world, spice = DMT, and not this "synthetic" marijuana garbage.
stevek
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 3:10 p.m.
Alex-let me know which hospital you work at so I can avoid it. "only 1 out of 7 has a problem"--You do realize that is about 15% Kinda high don't you think?
alex
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 2:37 p.m.
i work in a hospital and have seen patients come in from it, only 1 out of maybe 7 patients actually had a problem. The other patients had just been caught by their parents and the parents freaked out and brought them in. With this argument should alcohol be made illegal again, it worked very well the first time.
ffej440
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 1:59 p.m.
james- I've heard from users that it is very addictive. Have you ever tried to stop ?
Mike
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 12:35 p.m.
That's good enough for me man............
Homeland Conspiracy
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 12:27 p.m.
I know ppl who have seen UFO's
AnnArborite33
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 11:17 a.m.
I know people who work in a hospital who witnessed how it can negatively effect some people.
RJA
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 12:16 a.m.
Approx 3 weeks ago, I found a bottle of K2 with an Rx number on it. (in my yard) I called WCPD and no one came by to pick it up. I simply discarded it. I keep thinking it was thrown out due to someone chase-ing an auto. History now!
rroeyc
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 9:11 p.m.
so that's where I Ieft it..
alex
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 2:16 a.m.
it isn't a prescription. and it's legal... it also doesn't come in bottles. Not sure what you threw out.
smokeblwr
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 11:35 p.m.
I've heard the "high" from this stuff is not similar to the real stuff at all. It makes you manic and violent whereas real weed makes you mellow and lazy.
YouAreNotAlwaysRight
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 1:57 p.m.
I've seen kids with addictions so bad that they just sit and stare of they don't have any to smoke. The worst part is they make it illegal and someone just synthesizes the same thing but slightly different and all of a sudden it's legal again.
alex
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 2:15 a.m.
personally it had no affect on me and i'll never buy the crap again... i've never see anyone get violent or manic on it though. If anything it just made me nauseous... which can easily be cured by the real stuff.
mixmaster
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 11:22 p.m.
This could be avoided by legalizing the real stuff.
Eric Dobson
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 11:08 a.m.
"In 2011, synthetic marijuana led to about 220 hospitalizations in Michigan, the newspaper reported. Of those hospitalized, 150 were 19 and younger. At least 183 have been hospitalized this year for synthetic marijuana, and 91 of those were teens, according to the article." Even if the real stuff were to be legalized, the legal age would be 21. So to be fair, some of the cases would be avoided but not all, so your comment is only half true. There will always be a market for stuff like this; a way to get a cheap high regardless of the age of the user. Sadly, it's part of our culture to get stoned, wasted, or otherwise messed up for fun, whether it be with booze or drugs.
Robert Granville
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 11:22 p.m.
I wonder how this stuff came to be called synthetic marijuana. It isn't synthetic marijuana. Counterfeit would be a better term. These little bags of "incense" people are buying from convenience stores do not contain anything chemically similar to cannabinoids. If they did, people wouldn't be getting sick. If legitimate marijuana was legally available, there would be no market for such a dangerous, unregulated fake product.
CincoDeMayo
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 1:30 p.m.
Mike, I often wonder the same exact thing.
Mike
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 12:38 p.m.
I wonder why our society feels like it needs to get high so much, all of the time? People will try smoking or ingesting almost anything for a high anymore. What's wrong with just being yourself without a buzz?
Eric Dobson
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 11:24 a.m.
Really, the only way for this to be avoided is to get rid of this type of product. Over half of those getting sick are under 19, according to the article. I think it would be a fair guess to say the majority of those over the age of 21 (which would be the legal age to use pot if it were legalized) are first time users -or at least very new to the game of recreational drugs - looking for a cheap and easy high and without access to a dealer for the real stuff. I'd think the pro-pot people would be first in line to denounce stuff like this, get it taken off the market if for no other reason then as long as it's around and people are getting sick off it, the full legalization of pot that you want just won't happen.