Fourteen more people have been hospitalized with severe bleeding after using synthetic pot, state health officials report – bringing the total number to 70, including two deaths.
That number has more than tripled since Illinois officials first warned of the new side effect of the drug known as ‘fake weed’, ‘K2’ and ‘spice’ from 22 a week ago to 56 on Monday to 70 as of Thursday afternoon.
At least nine of those hospitalized with symptoms including bleeding from the ears, eyes and nose have tested positive for rat poison.
State officials worry that the synthetic pot with a dangerous, unknown mix of chemicals could be available across the state as the outbreak worsens.
The number of people hospitalized with severe bleeding has more than tripled in the week since Illinois health officials first warned of the new side effect of synthetic marijuana
‘It’s really an emergency in terms of getting this information out to the public,’ Dr Allison Arwady, chief medical officer at the Chicago Department of Public Health, told CNN.
‘Experimenting with these substances is just dangerous for your health. We don’t know what’s in them at the best of times, and right now, we know that what is in them can potentially be life-threatening.’
The death of a 22-year-old from Peoria County in central Illinois who was hospitalized with internal bleeding and admitted to having used K2 was reported over the weekend and has been counted as a fatality in the outbreak.
A second death of Kane County man in his 20s has also been linked to the outbreak.
The number of fatalities in connection with the outbreak is expected to rise, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Public Health on Monday.
This is the first time that severe bleeding has been associated with the drugs known as cannabinoids, a mix of hundreds of chemicals that act on the same brain cell receptors as the active ingredient in marijuana.
Along with bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose, other symptoms have included coughing up blood, blood in the urine and bleeding gums.
Officials have been struggling to identify where the contaminated synthetic pot is coming from, and warn that it may be available across the state.
Three men were arrested at a convenience store in Lawndale, Illinois, where police found nearly 2,000 grams of K2 laced with rat poison
‘Our investigation is ongoing, but individuals report using many different product names,’ IDPH spokeswoman Melaney Arnold told Daily Mail Online.
‘Because these products are not regulated, it’s difficult to know the chemical make-up, source and distribution.’
Several of the cases have been linked to brodifacoum, a toxic substance used in rat poison.
The poison affects levels of vitamin K in the blood which is necessary for coagulation.
It can lead to hypoprothrombinemia, a blood disorder that causes impaired blood clotting and excessive bleeding.
The IDPH has warned that anyone experiencing bleeding or bruising after using synthetic cannabis should seek treatment right away.
Pharmacists have been asked to warn people that over-the-counter vitamin K supplements are not strong enough to treat hypoprothrombinemia.
K2 used by one of the people hospitalized was traced back to a convenience store in Lawndale called King Mini Mart, according to the Chicago Tribune.
A undercover officer went to the store on Sunday to buy the K2 and arrested two Jamil Abdelrahman Jad Allah, 44, and Adil Khan Mohammed, 44.
On Sunday evening the owner of the store, Fouad Masoud, 48, was arrested while leaving his home with a bag containing $280,000.
Police reportedly found 3,000 grams of brodifacoum-laced K2 labeled as ‘Purple Giant’ in Masoud’s home and 2,000 grams behind the store.
The three men each face up to 20 years in prison.
The IDPH has said synthetic pot manufacturers could be tweaking the recipe for these products to get around a statewide ban and allow them to be sold legally.
‘Despite the perception that synthetic cannabinoids are safe and a legal alternative to marijuana, many are illegal and can cause severe illness,’ Dr Nirav Shah, IDPH director, said.
‘The recent cases of severe bleeding are evidence of the harm synthetic cannabinoids can cause.’
Nine people have tested positive for brodifacoum, a toxic substance found in rodent poison
The health effects of using synthetic cannabinoids can be unpredictable, dangerous and possibly life-threatening because it’s difficult to know what’s in them or how a person will be react to them.
Synthetic pot has been known to create a ‘zombie-like’ psychotic effect with extreme anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations.
Previous studies have linked the drugs to symptoms including seizures, vomiting, chest pain, cardiac problems, kidney damage and brain damage.
Since 2015 hundreds of people across the US have overdosed and been hospitalized after smoking too much or bad batches of synthetic cannabis.
K2 was long sold in corner stores, wrapped in bright packaging and bearing a ‘not for human consumption’ stamp.
Government agencies are finally beginning to crack down on the unregulated substance.