Synthetic pot leaves 2 dead and dozens hospitalized in Chicago area

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UNREAL –

April 2, 2018 – Two people have died and 56 have been sickened in the Chicago area and central Illinois after using synthetic pot, popularly known as K2 and Spice, state officials said Monday. Over the weekend, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced that one person had died after using synthetic cannabinoid products, but on Monday the state agency announced that a second person had perished. Nearly half of those sickened were in the Peoria area and more than 20 were in the Chicago area. Generally, those who became ill after using the drug were hospitalized for internal bleeding as well as blood coming from the ears, eyes and mouth … Synthetic cannabinoid is a manmade mixture of hundreds of chemicals that affect the same brain cell receptors as the main ingredient in marijuana. The substance can be sprayed on a plant material so it can be smoked, or it can be sold as a liquid form to be used in e-cigarettes or other similar devices, according to the health department. In the recent outbreak, nine people tested positive for brodifacoum, commonly used as rat poison.