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Dissecting the Spice epidemic: Potent batch may have provoked Wilkes-Barre overdoses

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WILKES-BARRE &#8212; In July, city police arrested 21 people on charges they possessed or sold synthetic marijuana called spice, more than double of all arrests on the same offenses during the first six months of the year, crime statistics show.Statistics for August won&#8217;t be available until September but after last week&#8217;s alarming responses by police and emergency medical technicians for people overdosing on synthetic marijuana, the data may top July.Exactly what is in synthetic marijuana that causes people to be sick? No one appears to know.The Times Leader interviewed Jason Harlen, chief executive officer at Wyoming Valley Drug and Alcohol Services.TL: What is in spice?Harlen: &#8220;Basically, it&#8217;s chemicals made by man per se, it&#8217;s manufactured by hand. Various chemicals are in it. Because it changes constantly, you don&#8217;t know what you are getting. People are soaking and spraying this stuff and smoking these chemicals and they don&#8217;t know what it is.&#8221;TL: Why the sudden rise with people overdosing on synthetic marijuana?Harlen: &#8220;That&#8217;s an unknown answer. Everybody is trying to figure that out. I don&#8217;t know if there is an answer to that. I know it&#8217;s regularly available in many places, usually behind the counter at convenience stores and some head shops. I know with Pennsylvania flirting with making marijuana medically legal, it may give the impression this synthetic marijuana is a safe alternative when that is not the case at all.&#8221;TL: How is synthetic marijuana manufactured?Harlen: &#8220;I was reading up on this the other day. The chemicals are outrageous. It&#8217;s whatever is available. It has a similar look like methamphetamine, which is made with brake fluid. What is exactly in synthetic marijuana, no one knows.&#8221;TL: What are the side affects of someone under the influence of synthetic marijuana?Harlen: &#8220;We counseled a few people this week. One gentleman had no idea where he was. He thought he was in a state two hours over. His cognitive abilities are shot and he had no cognitive brain activity. He admitted to buying spice behind the counter at a local convenient store.&#8220;I read that synthetic marijuana is mostly used by teens. While that may be the case nationally, we&#8217;ve seen users in their 20s, 30s and 40s.&#8221;TL: The director of emergency services at Commonwealth Health Wilkes-Barre General Hospital recently told me that the medical industry does not know the long-term risk a user may face. Can it be compared to how methamphetamine users drastically change?Harlen: &#8220;Nobody knows. It&#8217;s only been around for a few years now. I can say synthetic marijuana and whatever chemicals are in it can create hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia, high body temperature. It totally discombobulates their cognitive skills. It&#8217;s extremely dangerous. Those who are using this stuff are playing Russian Roulette. You don&#8217;t know what is going to happen to you. It&#8217;s man-made and you don&#8217;t know what is in it.&#8221;TL: Can the alarming rate of spice overdoses be called an epidemic?Harlen: &#8220;Absolutely. We had that epidemic with bath salts a few years ago. People associate synthetic marijuana because marijuana is associated with it. It is no way marijuana. Synthetic marijuana was introduced a few years ago that was supposed to mimic regular marijuana. That is not the case. On the spice packages, it says &#8216;Not for human consumption&#8217; but people are smoking it.&#8221;TL: How do drug treatment specialists help those who are using synthetic marijuana?Harlen: &#8220;First thing, get to an emergency room. A lot of emergency rooms don&#8217;t know how to deal with this addiction or are just trying to figure it out. Once they get medically cleared, they need to seek treatment. The problem is not going to go away on its own. It affects people differently.&#8221;<style>
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<div class="neCaption">Jason Harlen </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_Jason-Harlen-WVDA-CEO-8-6-15.jpg</photo0><caption0>Jason Harlen </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Ed Lewiselewis@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Ed Lewis at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TLEdLewis</shirttailMeta></div>

Just what is spice?