Synthetic Pot Tied to Emergencies

Synthetic marijuana is causing as alarm in Emergency Departments across the country. According to the article published by Health Day, synthetic marijuana is described as “dried plant materials that has been sprayed with laboratory-created psychoactive chemicals that mimic THC.” Colorado reported treating around 263 people for emergency treatment related to the effects of synthetic marijuana over a month span in 2013. The case count, in general, has been on the up rise according to a report published from the 2012 U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

According to Dr. Andre Monte, an assistant professor in emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, the common reason for using synthetic marijuana from users treated in the Emergency Department was to beat a drug test. The common demographic of users seen in the emergency department were males in their late 20s.