Lifestyle
Deadly Synthetic Marijuana is Circulating Around Texas
A batch of synthetic marijuana (also known as K2 and spice among other street names) is circulating around Southeast Texas. Three people, ages 24, 25 and 32, died after taking the drug and several others have been hospitalized.
Newton County Sheriff Billy Rowles spoke passionately about the issue at a press conference. KTRE quotes him as saying, “It’s killing them now! Now! In a matter of minutes, they walk out in the middle of the road and crash. Dead right there, now!”
US Attorney Brit Featherston stated that since K2 is often manufactured in southeast Asia or China, the chemical make-up of the product can fluctuate in strength due to lack of quality control. This particular batch of the mind-altering drug has proved to be incredibly dangerous.
As DrugAbuse.gov explains, synthetic marijuana has been marketed as a “safe” alternative to illegal drugs, but it “may affect the brain much more powerfully than marijuana; their actual effects can be unpredictable and, in some cases, severe or even life-threatening.” The psychotic effects include high anxiety and altered perception leading to paranoia, hallucinations, and misperception.
KTRE asks anyone with information on the “epidemic” to call their local authorities.
