Fake Weed Left 2 Durham County Residents With 'Severe Bleeding'

DURHAM COUNTY, NC — Two Durham County residents who used fake weed were left with "severe bleeding" and now state health officials are warning the public: Don't touch the stuff!

Synthetic cannabinoids go by many names. "Legal weed." "K2." "Spice." They're often billed as a cheaper alternative to plant-based marijuana that don't show up on a drug test but affect the same part of the brain as THC, the active ingredient in pot.

But the state Department of Health and Human Services said in a release Monday that synthetic cannabinoids tainted with brodifacoum — rat poison — have left 200 people nationwide with a bad bleeding condition since March.

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North Carolina health officials identified a second case of severe bleeding last week that followed one from little over two weeks ago. Both involved a Durham County resident.

“This second case of severe bleeding in Durham County is evidence that these dangerous products are still out there,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Zack Moore. “The best way to protect yourself is by not using any synthetic cannabinoids.”

In one of the North Carolina cases, a product named Blue Giant was reportedly used. Even so, products with various names have been linked to severe bleeding, officials said, and no synthetic cannabinoid should be considered safe.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, synthetic cannabinoids can be used in a variety of ways, including being sprayed onto plant material and then smoked, used in electronic nicotine delivery devices — such as e-cigarettes — and added to herbal tea or food.

The drug is "widely available," the agency said. You can even buy it at convenience stores.

"Synthetic cannabinoids are always dangerous because it is impossible for people to know what chemicals are in the product, how much they are being exposed to, and how their body will react to the chemicals," the CDC wrote on its website.

If you use fake weed and experience signs of unexplained bleeding, seek medical help immediately and call 911 if you need immediate assistance. Symptoms of a bleeding condition can include unexplained bleeding gums, coughing up — or vomiting — blood, bloody urine, severe bloody nose and unexplained bruising.

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