Teens Lives Negatively Affected by Fake Weed
Beautiful teens life may never be the same after smoking fake weed. I don't think we can talk about the dangers associated with fake pot enough because young people are still able to obtain synthetic weed from some gas stations, convenience stores, and tobacco shops even though some people are dying from smoking these dangerous herbal mixtures.
Most states have banned these illegal substances but that hasn't stopped the sale and use of these products labeled as incense or potpourri and "not intended for human consumption". I'm sure some of the reasons young people continue to smoke synthetic pot is because they personally have never suffered severe complications themselves or have never known anyone personally that's been hospitalized or died from smoking it….yet.
In 2010 more than 11 thousand people in the United States went to the emergency room for health complications due specifically to the use of synthetic marijuana according to HealthDay. Poison Control Centers received 2,915 calls associated with synthetic marijuana in 2010 but calls drastically increased in 2011. By October 31st of 2011 Poison Control Centers received 5,741 calls associated with synthetic pot.
Synthetic marijuana is made from plant material (herbs) that's been sprayed with cannabinoid substances and is said to be a hundred times more potent than marijuana. There are very serious health related problems linked to synthetic cannabinoids which people need to be aware of which include:
- Anxiety
- Agitation
- Racing heart beat
- Elevated blood pressure
- Hallucinations
- Paranoia
- Suicidal behavior
- Possible stroke
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Synthetic cannabis is sold under many different names now and makes it hard for law enforcement to keep up. Many young people have died as a result of smoking fake pot or have narrowly escaped death. A 13 year old became ill after smoking fake marijuana and later sadly died. Three teenagers aged 16 "experienced heart attacks after smoking K2" according to a 2011 article on foxnews.com. Miraculously a twenty year old lived even though "He was completely unresponsive" and "left clinically dead" after using synthetic cannabis purchased over the counter according to theadvocate.com.
New versions of synthetic cannabis are being marketed all the time but it doesn't matter what brand name fake pot is sold under because they're all equally dangerous and deadly. As of now there is no way of knowing what the long term health effects may be for individuals that use synthetic marijuana. Several patients have experienced psychosis though which hadn't been previously diagnosed before, that continued "a week or more" after the severe effects of the synthetic marijuana should have subsided in Michigan throughout 2011. During the same year, twenty five people experienced major medical problems from exposure to synthetic marijuana and included irregular heartbeat, stroke, multiple seizures and one death.
Beautiful teens life may never be the same due to synthetic weed. A beautiful teen barely escaped death last year after smoking fake pot and if nothing else, I hope the story CNN ran will have an impact on anyone thinking about trying synthetic weed or, make a person think twice about ever using it again. Just because a person was fortunate enough not to end up in the emergency room from using these marijuana substitutes or dying from them in the past, doesn't mean the next time they won't.
In December of last year a beautiful bright sixteen year old named Emily ended up in intensive care after smoking synthetic marijuana labeled potpourri and sadly had to be put on life support. Emily suffered strokes which caused other severe complications that kept oxygen from getting to her brain. Amazingly after Emily was taken off life support she didn't die according to another CNN report. Emily is recovering slowly but "she may never be the same".
Just recently Science Daily released an article that talks about "acute kidney injury" being linked to "ingestion of synthetic marijuana" that readers may find very informative also. As time goes on, I think we will continue to learn more dangers and risks associated with the use of fake pot so I hope parents continue to talk with their children and young people will think twice before they light up.
I can't even begin to imagine what parents and family members go through if their child ends up in the hospital or dies from smoking synthetic pot or any other substance. I know young people are going to take risks, many adults do too but death is permanent. I wish there was a way of getting all young people to realize just how dangerous synthetic pot is but I fear they won't understand until something happens to themselves or someone they personally know.
References
U.S. News
White House.Gov
Fox News.Com
The Advocate.Com.Au
Michigan.Gov
CNN.Com
Science Daily.Com
