Synthetic marijuana a growing concern in N.J., nationally

Calls to the American Association of Poison Control Centers regarding synthetic marijuana have nearly doubled nationally in 2015 compared to the previous year.

Packets of "K2" and other brands of synthetic marijuana and methamphetamines seized by the Division of Consumer Affairs during a crackdown. (File photo)

SOMERSET -- While accounting for only a fraction of a percentage of all exposures reported to poison control centers both nationally and in New Jersey, recent data show a rising tide of synthetic marijuana usage nationally, with reported exposures nearly doubling in the U.S. compared to last year.

Through September, the American Association of Poison Control Centers has received 6,310 calls regarding people suffering the effects of synthetic marijuana, compared to 3,682 in all of last year.

In the United States, New Jersey has received the ninth-most calls to date this year regarding exposure to the drug with 142 logged calls, according to data on the American Association of Poison Control Centers website.

However, the number of calls to the national poison center regarding synthetic marijuana -- which can be purchased illegally at tobacco shops in New Jersey, online, at corner stores and from street dealers -- still represents a small number of calls received by the centers overall.

To date, the national poison center has received approximately 2.13 million calls regarding all exposures, said Angela Gonzales, the Associate Manager of Outreach and Communications for the American Association of Poison Control Centers. By comparison, New Jersey has received 32,825 calls overall on all exposures this year, which means synthetic marijuana exposures account for less than half of 1 percent of total calls.

Still, the data show an increasing trend as the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System received only 43 calls in 2014 concerning the dangers and effects of synthetic marijuana, said Bruce Ruck, the director of Drug Information and Professional Education at the New Jersey Poison Center located at the New Jersey Medical School at Rutgers University.

In 2015, that number has almost tripled through September, said Ruck, adding the actual number of incidents involving the drug are likely higher.

"You can multiple the calls on synthetic marijuana by a lot more because it's not mandatory that anyone call us," said Ruck. "I think that number is just the tip of the iceberg."

Mississippi leads the nation with 1,334 calls to the center regarding synthetic marijuana to date this year, followed by New York with 1,297 calls, according to the website. Texas is third with 514 calls.

Three weeks ago, police in New York seized approximately two million packets of synthetic marijuana from a Bronx garage with a combined street value of $10 million.

On Sept. 30, Jose Javier of Woodbridge was indicted in Somerset County Superior Court for second-degree possession of synthetic marijuana with intent to distribute and third-degree possession of synthetic marijuana after being arrested in Warren Township in possession of 300 packages of the drug.

"For some reason, it has become available again," Ruck said. "I can't tell you why people are gravitating to this over regular marijuana. I think they're looking for something else. They're looking for a different high. I can't tell you exactly why."

The drug, packaged in smartly-designed packets with names like K2, Scooby Snax and Spice and inexpensive, consists of a wide variety of herbal mixtures but its only real similarity to regular marijuana is that both drugs are smoked.

The effects of synthetic marijuana on users can be life-threatening. Users have had psychotic episodes, seizures, hallucinations and become agitated after taking the drug, said Dr. Christopher Crean, chairperson of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville.

The mixture of herbs sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids differs for packet to packet and users don't really know what they're smoking, Ruck said.

"There's no consistency to the drug," Ruck said. "That's the danger."

Five inmates at the Somerset County Jail were recently hospitalized after smoking the drug, which had been smuggled into the jail. Crean said the drug doesn't show up on drug screens, which may entice some to use it. Also, the drug is marketed as being benign, he said.

"Absolutely, we have definitely seen an uptick in the last couple of years," Crean said. "I think the biggest danger and side effect is,  in layman's terms,  it makes people crazy. They can become totally psychotic and schizophrenic. You have people running into traffic or doing completely ludicrous things that they don't realize they're doing.

"When we first started seeing it, we thought it was young adults having the first presentation for something like schizophrenia. They would become normal 12 hours later. Then, we started figuring out this is what is on the streets."

Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-19 District), who heads the Health and Human Services Committee, said his committee is working on legislation to curb the problem.

"We're looking at the penalties and how public health officials are addressing the issue," he said. "We want to provide public awareness and prevention. Families need to be talking about this deadly drug at the dinner table. It's not your run-in-the-mill marijuana."

In 2013, Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill banning the possession, manufacturing and the sale of the drug. After receiving 72 calls in 2012 regarding synthetic marijuana, that number fell to just 17 in 2013. The call center received 156 such calls in 2011, Ruck said.

While the drug is a major problem in many major cities such as Washington, D.C., Romesh Sukhdeo, head supervisor of the Essex County Narcotics Unit, said it hasn't reached epidemic levels in Newark. Heroin and cocaine remains the drug of choice there, he said.

"It's really everywhere," Vitale said. "It's not predominately in the inner cities, it crosses all lines and genders. It's mostly young people but it's influence is in all counties."

"We want people to know that this stuff isn't safe," Ruck said. "It's not like people are getting a better high from it. This isn't marijuana. People are being hospitalized, put on respirators and are having many other medical problems. This drug isn't a substitute for marijuana."

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.