synthetic marijuana

20 Stories

Lawyer Accused of Bringing More Than Papers to Jail

Ronald Lewis, 77, is accused of smuggling drug-laced documents to inmates in Texas facility

(Newser) - A good attorney will have your back as you navigate all the legalities of your case. An even better attorney knows that "having your back" doesn't translate to sneaking narcotics into the facility where you're incarcerated. That's exactly what lawyer Ronald Henry Lewis is accused of...

Drug Dog Collapses, Dies After Prison Search

Officials believe reaction to synthetic pot killed Jake

(Newser) - An Alabama Department of Corrections drug-sniffing dog was carrying out a contraband search at a prison last week when he sniffed out something that killed him. Authorities say Jake, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, collapsed after detecting the substance during a contraband search Thursday at the Staton Correctional Facility, the Montgomery ...

Blacked-Out Part of Report on Aaron Hernandez Revealed

Inmate alleges former NFL star was smoking K2 prior to his suicide

(Newser) - In the wake of Aaron Hernandez's April 19, 2017, death, a 132-page report was made public. One redacted part of that report has now been seen by the Boston Globe , and it's raising some big questions. The portion covers an interview with an inmate who said the former...

In Just 3 Hours, 25 People Overdosed at Connecticut Park

K2 synethetic pot suspected; an arrest has been made

(Newser) - Synthetic weed known as K2 may be to blame for a spate of overdoses in New Haven, Conn. At least 41 people reportedly overdosed at or near New Haven Green, a local park, between Tuesday and Wednesday, with some 25 overdoses occurring over a period of three hours Wednesday, CBS...

Another Synthetic Pot User Dead in Illinois

More than 150 people have gotten sick after using tainted synthetic cannabinoids

(Newser) - Another person in Illinois has died after using synthetic marijuana, reports the Chicago Tribune . The central Illinois woman, who was in her 30s, is the fourth person to die in the state after apparent use of the tainted substance. She's the third central Illinois victim; the fourth was from...

Feds: Fake Pot Tainted With Rat Poison Found in 5 States

Outbreak has killed at least 3, sickened 116

(Newser) - Fake marijuana likely contaminated with rat poison has now killed three people in Illinois and caused severe bleeding in more than 100 others, including a few in four other states. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has alerted doctors nationwide that patients with severe, unexplained bleeding may be...

2 Synthetic Pot Users Dead After Severe Bleeding Reports

54 other cases of severe bleeding have been tied to fake weed in Illinois

(Newser) - Two people have now been reported dead among dozens of cases of synthetic marijuana users who've turned up at Illinois hospitals in recent weeks complaining of severe bleeding. Per CNN , the more than 50 cases all involve hospitalizations in and around Chicago, where complaints have ranged from bloody noses...

Synthetic Pot Users in Chicago Bleeding From Eyes, Gums

Officials are looking for source

(Newser) - Synthetic pot is causing a bloody mess in the Chicago area. "What we are seeing is people are coming in with various types of bleeding,” CBS Chicago quotes the chief medical officer of the Illinois Department of Public Health as saying. “Whether it’s nose bleeds, bleeding...

Study Finds World's Safest Recreational Drug

Magic mushrooms resulted in fewest emergency room visits in 2016

(Newser) - A massive drug survey has labeled hallucinogenic mushrooms as the safest recreational drug in the world—though ensuring you're consuming a psychedelic variety of fungi, rather than some poisonous version, is rather important. This year's Global Drug Survey , with 120,000 participants in 50 countries, found that 0....

Report: Hernandez Had Bible Verse on Forehead
Report: Hernandez Died With
Bible Verse on Forehead
THE RUNDOWN

Report: Hernandez Died With Bible Verse on Forehead

He may have smoked synthetic marijuana before death

(Newser) - Aaron Hernandez had a Bible verse scrawled on his forehead when he was found hanged in his prison cell early Wednesday, sources tell WBZ . The sources say the former NFL star had the words "John 3:16" on his forehead, along with red marks on his hands and feet....

33 Sickened in NYC Mass Overdose
33 Sickened in
NYC Mass Overdose

33 Sickened in NYC Mass Overdose

Authorities issue fresh warning on synthetic pot

(Newser) - More than two dozen people were sickened in an apparent mass drug overdose on a New York City street corner, sparking warnings from police and health officials about the dangers of using K2, also known as synthetic marijuana. Calls started coming in Tuesday morning that numerous people appeared to be...

Synthetic Pot Blamed for Toddler's Death

Charges are possible in tragic Indiana case

(Newser) - Synthetic marijuana was at least partly responsible for the tragic death of a toddler in Indiana last month, according to a coroner's report. The report states that the death of 20-month-old Kaylei Carter involved "streptococcal sepsis with contributing synthetic cannibinoids," which were found in her system, reports...

He Took One Puff of Synthetic Pot. It Killed Him

8K poisonings reported in US in 2015

(Newser) - It may be called fake weed, but Spice differs from the real stuff in at least two notable ways: Customary urine drug tests can't detect it, which the Guardian reports is leading more Americans to turn to it for an "undetectable" high—and that high can kill. Some...

'Most Dangerous' Drug Is Poisoning More Americans

Poison control centers fielded 1,008 calls about Spice in the first 22 days of April

(Newser) - "American Association of Poison Control Centers Issues Warning About Reemerging Synthetic Drugs." That's the title of a strongly worded press release issued yesterday about "Spice" following an upsurge in hospital visits and calls to state poison control centers due to the drug. Those centers received 1,...

Synthetic Pot Sickened Hundreds in Colorado

CDC finds at least 221 cases

(Newser) - Fake pot—which, unlike real pot, is illegal in Colorado—sickened at least 221 people in the state during an outbreak earlier this year, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report finds. The probe found two previously unknown strains of synthetic marijuana—dried plant material sprayed with chemicals—on...

11K Hospitalized Over Artificial Pot Last Year

Third of ER visits from 12- to 17-year-olds: federal report

(Newser) - Nearly 11,500 people were hospitalized last year after taking synthetic drugs meant to imitate marijuana, a new federal report finds. A third of those sent to the ER were kids ages 12 to 17, while 35% were 18- to 24-year-olds. Some 59% of the cases among those aged 12...

Feds Bust 90 in Fake Pot, Bath Salt Raids

Almost 5 million packets of synthetic pot seized in nationwide crackdown

(Newser) - Federal agents arrested more than 90 people across 30 states today, in a nationwide crackdown on designer drugs. The DEA seized nearly 5 million packets of artificial pot and almost 167,000 packages of "bath salts," CNN reports. They also confiscated $36 million. "This enforcement action has...

Military's New Worry: Synthetic Pot

Pentagon sees a huge spike among service members

(Newser) - More and more American soldiers are using synthetic marijuana, specifically an herbal concoction called "Spice" that is both potent and easy to get, reports AP . The Pentagon put into place a rigorous testing program this year that flagged more than 1,000 troops. One stat shows the spike: Two...

Conn. Cracks Down on 'Fake Pot'


 Connecticut 
 Cracks Down 
 on 'Fake Pot' 
AFTER DECRIMINALIZING POT

Connecticut Cracks Down on 'Fake Pot'

Twin bills cause confusion

(Newser) - Connecticut might've decriminalized marijuana, but it's going to criminalize fake pot: A bill passed this week would classify synthetic marijuana and the herb Salvia diviorum as a controlled substance that is illegal to possess. Synthetic products could be legally sold in stores until the federal government reclassified...

Hot at the Naval Academy: Synthetic Pot
Hot at the Naval Academy:
Synthetic Pot
say midshipmen

Hot at the Naval Academy: Synthetic Pot

Drug tests don't detect it, say current, ex-midshipmen

(Newser) - So-called synthetic marijuana is widely smoked at the US Naval Academy, say some midshipmen who were kicked out of the Academy for using it. The drug appeared on the campus last year and quickly grew in popularity due to the fact that it cannot be detected in routine urine tests,...

20 Stories
Most Read on Newser