Two deaths, 54 other cases of severe bleeding tied to fake weed in Illinois

[UpInArms]

Source: CNN

Synthetic cannabinoids -- often called Spice, K2 or fake weed -- have been tied to 56 cases of severe bleeding, including two deaths, across Chicago and areas in central Illinois.

All of the cases required hospitalization related to coughing up blood, blood in the urine, bloody nose, bleeding gums and other symptoms. Nine of the cases tested positive for brodifacoum, or rat poison, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Public Health on Monday.

Now, state officials are working to identify any common synthetic cannabinoid products related to those cases and to determine where the products were obtained.

There are still many questions about the illnesses; officials are not aware what exactly caused the drug contamination, but investigators and toxicologists are continuing to evaluate.


Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/02/health/fake-weed-illinois-death-bn/index.html

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Rat poison?

[asiliveandbreathe]

1. You go to the cannabis store....period!!!!!

In states where medical marijuana is regulated..or even states that legalized rec. mj..you are not going to have this problem...another reason to legalize....

[getagrip_already]

5. nahh, grow your own

There are lots of pesticides and other contaminants some growers use. Some are even legal and approved. Doesn't mean they are safe.

If you grow your own, you know exactly what goes on or in it.

Beseides, its much cheaper that way. It costs about $0.50 a gram to grow, Dispensaries and retail shops will charge $10/gm or more.

[asiliveandbreathe]

7. Yes, and yes, and yes....eom

[BannonsLiver]

16. For some folks its about convienience

Growing your own is a pain in the ass, and probably too complicated for most people.

[getagrip_already]

17. yeah, I get that, but...

It really sn't hard to grow when you stack it up against common garden treats like tomatoes. The hardest part is learning to leave it alone. People tend to try too hard and they end up killing it.

It's not hard once you find a groove. Just takes time. But there is a zen to it....

Speaking only from a state where it is legal to grow rec cannabis of course.

[Lucinda]

2. KNR

[joshcryer]

3. Whoever made that is a murderer.

Hope they catch them.

[hibbing]

4. I really really wish the press wouldn't call it "synthetic marijuana"

We had this garbage being sold at head shops in my town and every article referred to it as "synthetic marijuana". I feel this is a very disingenuous way to label this garbage. Not sure what they should refer to it, but it bothers me.


Peace

[Midnight Writer]

11. I agree. Reading this, you would think there is poison Cannabis going around.

But of course this stuff is legal and marijuana is not.

[eppur_se_muova]

14. I've ranted about this before, so was happy to see "FAKE weed" in the OP.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=38305

Of course, the number of casualties is now badly out of date.

[garybeck]

6. the solution to the fake weed crisis

REAL WEED.

if real weed is legal, no one will want that crap.

[jmowreader]

9. What if you have a job that tests for real weed but not fake weed...

...and you want to smoke weed anyway?

[eppur_se_muova]

13. Avoid the fake weed; it can be deadly. nt

[C Moon]

8. Call it what it is: a serial killer or a terrorist

[GReedDiamond]

10. I'm sure that hillbilly boy klansman Jeff Sessions believes that rat poison is...

...better than the Demon Weed.

There is absolutely no need for the war on cannabis to continue.

Denying people access to legal, safe cannabis would make these "spice" deaths and its possibly permanently disabling effects from ever happening.

Here's "Death Penalty For Pot" by my old band, Benedict Arnold & The Traitors.

[getagrip_already]

12. yeah, that is a real problem...

Even in legal states, employers can still test you and fire you if they find cannabis. In Canada, where they are planning to go legal this summer (more or less), they also enacted very tough anti-cannabis driving laws.

They will test you if the occifer "suspects" you are under the influence (no criteria) and if you have a very low level of detectable cannabis in your system (saliva test), you are busted. Problem is, you can test positive under their test for days after you use (for med users) and has zero to do with driving under the influence.

Anyway, I have heard some people will use this shit if they are under court monitored probation. It still gets you high, but it doesn't test positive. So I get how it sells.

But the bulk of this crap comes from china. They don't care. They put poison in infant formula and cat food, so why not an "bath salts"?

The owners of the stores should be held responsible. Lets chop it where it starts.

[eppur_se_muova]

15. PSA from IDPH (what to do if you've used this fake weed -- get to the hospital!):

http://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/prevention-wellness/medical-cannabis/synthetic-cannabinoids