Louisiana decided to ban the sale of eight compounds found in synthetic marijuana following a spike in hospitalization of users who experienced dangerous reactions after using the drugs.
To date, more than one hundred people have already been rushed to emergency rooms following use of the drug, which is marketed under street names "Spice," "MOJO" and "White Widow," leading to Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Kathy Kliebert signing an emergency law that bans eight of the components found in synthetic marijuana.
The emergency rule signed Thursday will temporarily prohibit the sale of eight compounds associated with synthetic marijuana that were not included in the state law that prohibits Schedule 1 drugs. "We're taking this action following serious and troubling reports from local law enforcement officials of a high number associated drug overdoses in recent weeks," Kliebert said. "This is necessary to protect the public's health and safety."
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) said that manufacturers substituted some of the chemicals found in synthetic marijuana because they are prohibited by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which apparently resulted in some users experiencing toxic reactions.
"Be advised that these are untested chemicals concoctions that attempt to mimic marijuana without any consideration for the effects these chemicals may have on the human body," the coroner's office said in a statement.
Synthetic marijuana, which started to emerge in the U.S. in 2009, is often made up of several herbs with synthetic compounds that mimic the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the mind-altering ingredient found in marijuana and while it is often marketed as a safe alternative to cannabis, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) said its use could lead to health and mental problems.
William Elliott, who works at the Baton Rouge General Medical Center, said that long term use of the drug can result in psychotic breakdowns and schizophrenia even in users with no prior history of mental illness. "The symptoms (of use) can range pretty widely from sedation to significant agitation, violent behavior, delirium, self-injurious behavior and frank psychosis," Elliot said.
Kliebert said that people buy synthetic marijuana because it gives them euphoric high. Nonetheless, she discourages the use of the drug because of its dangerous effects.
"No temporary high is worth the serious devastating consequences these drugs could have," Kliebert said. "These drugs are largely untested and can cause major devastating health affects including, anxiety and paranoia, racing heartbeat, nausea, seizures, and intense hallucinations."
