Designer drugs are drugs that have been created to mimic the effects of illegal substances while still attempting to be sold legally. They are often made in homes or secret illegal labs. They can be made from plant substances or entirely synthetic chemicals that can be legally purchased in order to attempt to create a new “legal” substance.
The Houston Fire Department responded to calls about people appearing to have “altered states of mind” in the notorious “Kush Corner” on Thursday around 2:30. The area of Hermann Park is well known for its synthetic marijuana use and packets of the fake pot were found throughout the park. When the emergency responders first showed up they found dozens of people who needed hospitalization. Many appeared to have overdosed on synthetic marijuana and paramedics had taken 16 people away in ambulances before the day was over. Houston, TX has been plagued with bizarre incidents involving synthetic marijuana use. One incident where two men attacked and shot at their neighbors when they found a piece of cold chicken on the lawn during a BBQ. Another incident was deadly when a man beat, stabbed, and choked his girlfriend to death during an argument after allegedly smoking a bad batch of synthetic marijuana. The city of Houston has multiple lawsuits against local shops selling the drug. Many fear that this is just the beginning of the synthetic marijuana overdoses they could see this summer. (more…)
Commonly known as Spice or K2, “synthetic marijuana”, is a mixture of shredded plant materials sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids which users claim mimics the effects of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. The product is often sold in retail outlets labeled as herbal incense or potpourri and marked as “not intended for human consumption” in order to hide its intended purpose. The drug is typically smoked in a similar fashion to marijuana; however, some users have been using the substance to brew an herbal tea for consumption. (more…)