Skid Row is not placed on an alarming state as a high number of synthetic marijuana users are placing their lives in danger. The synthetic marijuana death toll continually increases into an alarming state in a span of one month.
Officials from Skid Row announced that a total of 18 individuals overdosed on synthetic marijuana (Spice) consumption. According to officers, they did not only respond to overdose incidents on Monday, as several cases of synthetic marijuana overdose also took place just four days after. Public health officials from Skid Row already declared Spice (synthetic marijuana) overdose as a public health crisis that needs to be eradicated.
"We don't have toxicological confirmation, but it's presumably spice, which is a synthetic type of cannabis or marijuana," Dr. Marc Eckstein, the Los Angeles Fire Department medical director and EMS bureau commander stated during an interview. "And of course, because it's synthetic, nobody for sure knows what active ingredients are in there, the strength is variable."
Aside from the 18 individuals that were killed due to the synthetic marijuana overdose, 14 people were also rushed to the hospital for the same reasons. Officials are still uncertain as to what the component of the synthetic marijuana are, but overdose results to seizures, convulsions, and even cardiac arrest according to HERB.
Dr. Marc Eckstein then added that the usage of synthetic marijuana is quite common within the area, thus the epidemic continually causes a widespread among people are getting hooked. He then added that people addicted to Spice basically does not know what they've gotten themselves into as they can end up in a critical condition, or even death.
"This seems to be very similar to what we had here on Friday," Dr. Eckstein added. " The drug use here is very widespread amongst the homeless population here in the Skid Row area. People would use or smoke spice at their own peril, they're taking their lives into their own hands."
NIDA noted that synthetic cannabinoids contain lethal ingredients that can lethally harm the body. It was then highlighted that synthetic marijuana is NOT for human consumption contrary to claims that it is all natural.
