Synthetic marijuana floods Tampa Bay area
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Law enforcement note a growing presence of synthetic marijuana in the Tampa Bay area and the nasty side effects — seizures and psychotic episodes — that sometimes accompany the mixes of chemicals which no one fully understands.
The Tampa Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/1RluiZz) that while a statewide ban on spice, a common term for the drug, was implemented in 2013, the relatively cheap substance still is easy to come by. Its chemical composition changes faster than laws can be adopted to control use of the drug, making it hard for police to crack down on its use.
St. Petersburg police officers were called 28 times one weekend this month about suspected spice overdoses near a St. Vincent de Paul shelter.
Tampa officials saw a spike in overdoses earlier in the month.