FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Two people have died and more than 40 people in the Tampa area have been hospitalized with severe bleeding after smoking synthetic marijuana, also known as spice, according to reports.
According to WFLA-Ch. 8, Florida Poison Control director Alfred Alegaus said 41 people were hospitalized and two of them had died.
“What we want to do is get the message out of the public that this stuff is out there,” Alegaus said.
Tests showed that some of the spice was contaminated with rat poison, according to 10 Tampa Bay.
Florida Poison Control issued a warning to emergency departments asking them to report new cases of bleeding related to synthetic marijuana use.
“We are closely monitoring this situation and working with public health agencies. Toxicologists and poison specialists are assisting hospitals in the treatment of these poisoned patients.”
In a Dec. 6 Facebook post, Florida’s Poison Control Centers urged anybody who experiences bleeding after using synthetic cannabinoid to go to the nearest emergency room or to call the poison control centers at 1-800-222-1222.
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