If you are to smoke, don´t chose the fake weed
Cannabis continues to make headlines in the United States media. If so far the concern among the US citizens has been the use of this weed for therapeutic purposes, now the headlines refer to "the copy" of marijuana, in other words, the synthetic manufacture of this product that can cause severe health effects, as reported by some hospitals in the country. Dr. Arnold Millewich of the Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove says the product is causing severe and rapid bleeding, and 22 persons have been reported with these affectations.
Momentarily the authorities of Downers Grove have warned the population to stop the consumption of synthetic cannabinoids. They also issued an alert to call 911 Emergencies when symptoms such as bleeding or bruising appear after consuming this kind of drug.
Although the manufacturing and consequently marketing of this product is forbidden, several local producers risk their skins by doing quite the opposite and modify some compounds that have can be legally acquired so they can easily circumvent the authorities to sell it legally. According to toxicology specialists, cannabinoid elements are sometimes sprayed on smoking plants and are sold as liquids to be vaporized and inhaled into electronic cigarettes and other devices. The products are also sometimes marketed as herbal or liquid incense.
According to the Emergency doctor of the Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, Arnold Millewich, the drug can not only be bought in the street but also in state businesses, grocery stores and narcomenudistas. A study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that young people are the most likely to consume it, which ultimately alter their social and sexual behavior and puts them on the verge of narcotics’ addiction and abuse as well as the risk of dying.
Although there are no fatality’s reports, it’s still unknown which is the chemical agent that is causing the hemorrhage in consumers. The authorities comment that it is difficult to determine the exact source of the substance.
Since March 7 cases are coming to Good Samaritan. They are currently monitoring the situation and the authorities are working to know who is or are behind the product’s manufacturing. From his point of view, Arnold thinks that in the chemical formula change lays the secret of the new and dangerous symptom. Synthetic marijuana, known as "fake weed", "K2" or "spice", is not the first time it is under the accusing eye of authorities and health entities. It has a history of symptoms and severe effects on human health that has triggered alarms on more than one occasion. It was only recently known that fake weed caused kidney failure and psychosis.
Millewich states that people are not yet aware of the severe health damage that can cause this kind of chemical compounds sometimes consumed in substitution or because they cannot afford marijuana’s original version. The seriousness of the matter according to the doctor is that this type of substance is usually a mixture of chemical compounds often called cannabinoids that affect the same receptor brain cells just as the main ingredient of marijuana does. Hence, many of the undetectable affectations in short-term but with great long incidence are neuronal. "The neurological effects of these products are still unknown," he added.
Nirav Shah, head of the district’s public health department, also believes that synthetic cannabinoids are a cocktail of chemical compounds of which most of their active ingredients are unknown.
The Down Grove’s incident is another piece of wood added to the heated debate of Marijuana’s legalization. In lines to what Nirav Shah said, most people think it’s contradictory to ban the original cannabis and allow the synthetic ones. "There is a misperception that synthetic cannabinoids are safe and a legal alternative to marijuana." However, the health effects of one and the other are substantially distant especially since natural cannabis is a pharmacologically beneficial product for health according to scientific studies. However, the stubbornness of an irrational government like Trump's that does not see beyond their noses has not yet made a stop to look at all the edges of the matter. His utterly defense to end with narcotics at all costs, meaning traffickers, is the only point of analysis of his reduced vision. Meanwhile, in Down Grove, Dr. Arnold continues hospitalizing teenagers with severe bleeding.