Hospitalizations from synthetic pot spike, officials say

Trevor Hughes | USA TODAY

DENVER -- Poison-control experts and public health officials are warning about a new spike in illnesses and hospitalizations caused by people using the drug "spice," a catch-all name for a type of synthetic marijuana.

Through last week, poison centers across the country received 1,900 calls from people seeking help after experiencing adverse reactions to these drugs -- four times the number of calls as the same period the year before.

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on April 17 issued a health alert after the state's emergency departments reported seeing more than 160 patients in a nine-day period. And poison-control experts say Alabama had 317 synthetic cannabinoid-related emergency department visits in an 18-day window as of April 20. Other states, including New Jersey, Mississippi, Texas, Florida and Arizona, have also seen dramatic increases or "balloons" in reports, health officials say.

"This is clearly something to avoid at all costs," said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "There may be some kind of new batch out there."

"Spice" packets are often sold in gas stations as incense or potpourri and labeled "not for human consumption." Users smoke the contents, which are usually some kind of synthetic drug sprayed on plant leaves. Spice initially gained popularity in 2009, prompting federal and state regulators to try ban it, but manufacturers change the designer drug's formula to get around the bans -- or just ignore them.

Glatter last week treated 10 patients poisoned by spice, requiring lengthy emergency room stays and repeated dosing with muscle-relaxants to help calm them. Teens can buy the product over the counter, and most employer-administered drug tests don't check for it. People think it's safe to use because they believe it's just a different kind of marijuana, Glatter said. He said the symptoms he saw indicate the spice batch he dealt with was laced with PCP.

"It's really the kitchen sink. It's really like playing Russian roulette," he said.

Common overdose symptoms of the synthetic cannabis include kidney failure, rapid heartbeat, agitation, and hallucinations. Another type of synthetic drug known as "bath salts," or cathinones, can cause extreme paranoia, hallucinations, delusions and violent behavior.

Federal regulators have banned 26 types of the synthetic drugs. But chemists can often get around the ban by altering a single molecule, hence the name "designer drug."

According to the White House, 43 states have taken some action to control synthetic cannabis, and 44 have taken action against cathinones. Federal officials say the number of synthetic drugs has been expanding rapidly. In 2009, officials found just two types of synthetic cannabis. In 2012, they found 51 different kinds.

"Every time you tweak one of those molecules, you end up with a different thing," said Mark Ryan, director of the Louisiana Poison Center.