More than 100 people in a Connecticut park overdose on suspected synthetic marijuana in one day, straining emergency services. Washington, D.C. sees more than 200 overdoses during the month of July.
These numbers generated headlines, but health emergencies caused by synthetic cannabinoid - also known as Spice, K2, Black Mamba, Fake Weed, or Synthetic Marijuana – are not isolated incidents. Fatalities and severe illnesses related to contaminated illegal synthetic cannabinoid products have become such a significant public health problem that the FDA has issued a warning about the health risks of using them.