Disturbing video shows a man from Des Moines, Iowa, experiencing a grand mal seizure as an effect of years smoking synthetic marijuana.
Coby O’Brien-Emerick, 27, has experienced chronic seizures every three months for the past five years, putting him in the hospital for weeks on end.
In the video uploaded in December, Coby is seen on the floor convulsing for about nine minutes while paramedics are being called.
The father-of-two told Dailymail.com he asked for his seizure to be recorded in order to understand the severity of it. Video was posted to YouTube by his mother-in-law to warn others about the dangerous effects of smoking synthetic marijuana.
The man from Des Moines, Iowa, is recorded having a grand mal seizure
Coby wanted this to be recorded and posted to raise awareness about the negative side effects
Coby O’Brien-Emerick, 27, suffers from chronic seizures due to prolonged use of synthetic marijuana
‘I saw someone take their first hit of K2 in front of me and 2 minutes later they started having a seizure. I sat back in awe as it happened because I knew that’s what happened to me. But it didn’t matter to me, I smoked a bowl right after watching him seize. I was an addict.’
Coby started smoking synthetic cannabis as an alternative to marijuana six years ago while on probation to avoid the risk of a negative drug test.
He said he mostly smoked K2, a chemical compound sprayed on the herbs to produce a high.
The drug goes by many names, marketed as herbal blends, potpourri, or air fresheners and sold at head shop and gas stations.
It has grown popularity due to its promotion as a ‘legal high’, though it is not FDA approved and clearly marked ‘not for human consumption’.
For Coby, it quickly developed into a daily habit because of its low cost and availability.
He said: ‘At first I seemed normal but it turned me into a zombie. I would wake up in the middle of the night sweating craving a hit or two.’
It wasn’t until a few months of addictive behavior that Coby experienced his first seizure while surrounded by friends, none of who called 911 for fear of repercussions.
This week Coby said was the first time in five years he’s gone six month without a seizure. His last episode was on March 17 of this year.
Seven months ago, under doctors’ orders he stopped working his 10-12 hour shifts as a Subway manager to lower the risk of seizing by reducing stress.
But the seizures are not only caused by prolonged use of synthetic marijuana.
He said: ‘I saw someone take their first hit of K2 in front of me and two minutes later they started having a grand mal seizure. I sat back in awe as it happened because I knew that’s what happened to me. But it didn’t matter to me, I smoked a bowl right after watching him seize. I was an addict.’
K2 is the dangerous chemical compound sprayed on the herbs to produce a high
Coby said his wake-up-call was three years ago when he seized in front of his mother and sister and his now wife shunned him for his drug use
Synthetic marijuana is marketed as ‘legal high’ and sold as an air freshener and potppurri, but marked as NOT for consumption
The synthetic drugs are causing unrest for legislatures who are finding it hard to make illegal.
Legislatures will criminalize specific chemicals used in the mixture, where then the drug manufacturers will alter their recipe in order to continue distribution.
It’s a vicious and deadly cycle, one that is linked to a number of serious side effects including seizures, psychosis and even death.
Coby stresses that this synthetic drug is not an okay alternative to anything and ‘one of the most dangerous drugs out there, if not most of all, due to its availability and ‘legal’ status’.
Though he quit three years ago, Coby is still dealing with the medical side effects.
He said his wake up call came three years ago when he seized in front of his mother and sister, and was shunned by his now wife for his drug use.
Now the married father-of-two is a stay at home dad to his two-year-old and two-month-old.
He hopes to his story will spread awareness and offer hope to anyone with an addiction to these deadly synthetic drugs.
The father-of-two had to stop working under doctor’s orders to reduce stress and the risk of seizing