http://www.foxnews.com/health/...watch-in-horror.html

More than 47 people overdosed on what’s believed to have been synthetic marijuana at or near a Connecticut city park as fellow parkgoers watched in horror.

Officials said most of the overdoses happened on the New Haven Green throughout the day on Wednesday.

“We have a guy laid out in the alleyway, unresponsive, eyes wide open. He’s out cold,” an unidentified bystander shouted, according to the New Haven Register.

No deaths were reported, but authorities said two people had life-threatening symptoms.

CBS said the victims, covering a range of ages, experienced “a multitude of signs and symptoms ranging from vomiting, hallucinating, high blood pressure, shallow breathing, semi-conscious and unconscious states,” said Rick Fontana, director of the city’s Office of Emergency Operations.

Naloxone, an antidote for narcotic overdoses, was administered to some victims but didn’t appear to be effective.

“Do not come down to the Green and purchase this K2,” city Police Chief Anthony Campbell said. “It is taking people out very quickly, people having respiratory failure. Don’t put your life in harm.”

On average, two people die of a drug overdose every day in Connecticut. The state has surpassed the national death rate for drug and opioid overdoses since 2013.

“People are self-medicating for several different reasons and every agency — police, fire, medical, hospitals — all are strained at this time. This is a problem that’s not going away,” New Haven Fire Chief John Alston Jr. Alston said, according to NBC Connecticut.

Police said they arrested a man believed to be connected to at least some of the overdoses in the park. The suspect’s name wasn’t immediately released.

Synthetic marijuana, which generally is plant material sprayed with chemicals that mimic the high from real marijuana, has been blamed for overdoses across the country.

Authorities suspect synthetic cannabinoids, known as K2, were laced with other substances in the New Haven cases, ABC reported.

K2 can result in seizures, psychosis and even death.

Officials were testing the blood of the victims to see exactly what they ingested.

The overdoses follow a similar outbreak at the same park on July 4, when more than a dozen people were treated.

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People are self-medicating for several different reasons and every agency — police, fire, medical, hospitals — all are strained at this time. This is a problem that’s not going away,”

What a sympathetic man.

In Connecticut, the state has decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Typically, decriminalization means no prison time or criminal record for first-time possession of a small amount for personal consumption.

But no,I want to smoke something synthetic that may kill me.

When K2 was brand new and not yet illegal in AR, back in 2009-2010ish, we had a rash of similar overdoses in our area too. Nothing that large scale, though. Usually just one at a time. But there was one incident that I can recall at a local high school, with several kids having to be hospitalized at once after smoking a bad batch together.

Once it was outlawed in 2011 or so, just about everyone that was using K2 just went back to smoking weed. The users I talked to said that they were just smoking it because it was easy to get, with nearly every gas station and head shop selling it over the counter. But they didn't like the high.

If they were going to have to break the law anyway and go through the hassle of getting it from a drug dealer, they'd rather just smoke weed.

Fuck 'em. There's like six billion people on the planet, let a few idiots kill themselves.

Why do we subsidize addicts with Narcan or whatever, when we don't give a crap about law-abiding diabetics? Where's THEIR subsidy?!!!

Meh

Sounds like Darwin was dragging his feet on this one...

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More than 47 people overdosed

Strange line. Why not say 48 people, or at least 47, or near fifty, or over fifty.

Also strange why did around fifty people all decide to smoke this shit at nearly the same time in close proximity to each other? Was there a concert or event going on?

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Originally posted by Skins2881:

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More than 47 people overdosed

Strange line. Why not say 48 people, or at least 47, or near fifty, or over fifty.

Also strange why did around fifty people all decide to smoke this shit at nearly the same time in close proximity to each other? Was there a concert or event going on?

I read this as a problem area where drug activity is rampant. When the chief of police is telling people not to come there and buy “this K2”, I’m guessing the park is a place commonly frequented by worthless individuals engaged in getting high.

By denying Darwin his just rewards we're diluting humanities ability to survive.

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Originally posted by MikeinNC:
Fuck 'em. There's like six billion people on the planet, let a few idiots kill themselves.

I am right there with you, They are taking resources that can be used on deserving people

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Originally posted by gearhounds:

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Originally posted by Skins2881:

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More than 47 people overdosed

Strange line. Why not say 48 people, or at least 47, or near fifty, or over fifty.

Also strange why did around fifty people all decide to smoke this shit at nearly the same time in close proximity to each other? Was there a concert or event going on?

I read this as a problem area where drug activity is rampant. When the chief of police is telling people not to come there and buy “this K2”, I’m guessing the park is a place commonly frequented by worthless individuals engaged in getting high.

Having worked in New Haven for many years as a medic I can shed a little light on this location...it’s the cities green, well manicured and right in the middle of downtown New Haven...surrounded by businesses, court houses and Yale University. The homeless are present on the benches but usually get flushed out on a fairly regular basis. The city is a shit hole and I avoid it as much as possible but there are certainly other areas of the city that I would call drug rampant areas but not usually the Green. to my knowledge there was no concert/activity going on so i’m not sure how so many in one location decided to get high all at once.

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Originally posted by cgode:

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Originally posted by gearhounds:

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

More than 47 people overdosed

Strange line. Why not say 48 people, or at least 47, or near fifty, or over fifty.

Also strange why did around fifty people all decide to smoke this shit at nearly the same time in close proximity to each other? Was there a concert or event going on?

I read this as a problem area where drug activity is rampant. When the chief of police is telling people not to come there and buy “this K2”, I’m guessing the park is a place commonly frequented by worthless individuals engaged in getting high.

Having worked in New Haven for many years as a medic I can shed a little light on this location...it’s the cities green, well manicured and right in the middle of downtown New Haven...surrounded by businesses, court houses and Yale University. The homeless are present on the benches but usually get flushed out on a fairly regular basis. The city is a shit hole and I avoid it as much as possible but there are certainly other areas of the city that I would call drug rampant areas but not usually the Green. to my knowledge there was no concert/activity going on so i’m not sure how so many in one location decided to get high all at once.

I avoid New Haven whenever possible. It's an ultra-left sanctuary city that has really gone downhill in the last twenty years.
But then so have most of the cities in CT due to 70 years of democrat control.

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Originally posted by WaterburyBob:

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Originally posted by cgode:

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Originally posted by gearhounds:

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

More than 47 people overdosed

Strange line. Why not say 48 people, or at least 47, or near fifty, or over fifty.

Also strange why did around fifty people all decide to smoke this shit at nearly the same time in close proximity to each other? Was there a concert or event going on?

I read this as a problem area where drug activity is rampant. When the chief of police is telling people not to come there and buy “this K2”, I’m guessing the park is a place commonly frequented by worthless individuals engaged in getting high.

Having worked in New Haven for many years as a medic I can shed a little light on this location...it’s the cities green, well manicured and right in the middle of downtown New Haven...surrounded by businesses, court houses and Yale University. The homeless are present on the benches but usually get flushed out on a fairly regular basis. The city is a shit hole and I avoid it as much as possible but there are certainly other areas of the city that I would call drug rampant areas but not usually the Green. to my knowledge there was no concert/activity going on so i’m not sure how so many in one location decided to get high all at once.

I avoid New Haven whenever possible. It's an ultra-left sanctuary city that has really gone downhill in the last twenty years.
But then so have most of the cities in CT due to 70 years of democrat control.

when I cut my teeth as a medic down there in the late 80s and early 90s it was much worse with the homocide rate quadruple what it is today...the Ct State Police even took over assisting the city cops one summer in the “save the streets” campaign it had gotten so bad...for every successful homocide there were 10 non-lethal shootings so I had gotten a ton of experience in short order. today they remain a sanctuary city with all that comes with it and they can keep it...Democratic bullshit has ruined this State and I’m getting out as soon as I retire in a couple more years...three at the worst case scenario....I do not miss working the inner city!

eta...the number of ODs is now at 76....sounds like they had a busy night as this shit was redustibuted throughout the city

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Originally posted by Woodman:

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People are self-medicating for several different reasons and every agency — police, fire, medical, hospitals — all are strained at this time. This is a problem that’s not going away,”

What a sympathetic man.

I'm not sure I understand your comment. Are you saying that he is lacking in sympathy for saying what he did?

If so, can you tell me what is not factual about his statement?

Why would one look for someone to interject feelings into a statement of fact?

what a shame....

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More than 47 people overdosed on what’s believed to have been synthetic marijuana...

Yep, no dangers whatsoever in legalizing marijuana. None at all.

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Originally posted by bigdeal:

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More than 47 people overdosed on what’s believed to have been synthetic marijuana...

Yep, no dangers whatsoever in legalizing marijuana. None at all.

Until it gets spiked with an "enhancer"

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Originally posted by bigdeal:

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More than 47 people overdosed on what’s believed to have been synthetic marijuana...

Yep, no dangers whatsoever in legalizing marijuana. None at all.

I'm certainly not an advocate for marijuana legalization, but I should point out that the term "synthetic marijuana" is very misleading.

Yes, the chemicals in stuff like K2 are synthetic cannabinoids, in that they bind to the same cannabinoid receptors in the brain as the chemical in marijuana does. But the chemicals used to make K2 are not THC, the specific type of cannabinoid in marijuana. And the effects are quite different.

Unlike marijuana, K2 and the other common synthetic cannabinoids are strong stimulants with hallucinogenic effects. It's a powerful, but short term, "trippy" high. And like most other powerful stimulants, side effects like nausea, anxiety/paranoia, heart palpitations, seizures, etc. are not uncommon. This is exacerbated by the method of producing smokable K2, where they basically spray potpourri or other cheap dried plant matter with various liquid chemicals, resulting in wild variances in potency and concentration.

Marijuana and K2 are apples and oranges. So incidents like this involving K2 really have no bearing on marijuana legalization arguments.