PA Boy Dies After Smoking Synthetic Marijuana

A Pennsylvania eighth-grader who became ill after smoking synthetic marijuana and had a double lung transplant has died.

The boy's mother said that her 13-year-old son, Brandon, died Thursday morning at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh at UPMC.

The boy smoked the fake marijuana out of a plastic PEZ candy dispenser. The chemicals in the drugs caused extensive damage to his lungs.

Brandon was put on a respirator in June and had a double lung transplant in September. The boy's mother says anti-rejection drugs he'd taken since the transplants weakened his immune system and made him unable to fight a recent infection.

Pennsylvania's Governor signed a law outlawing such substances a few days after the boy smoked it. The ban took effect in August.

 

Source;  http://www.foxbaltimore.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wbff_vid_10161.shtml

Synthetic Marijuana and Bath Salts Outlawed In Virginia

On Wednesday Virginia Gov. Bob O'Donnell signed two bills outlawing synthetic marijuana and bath salts. This means that the drugs that once gave users a legal high could now land them in jail.

For those who may not know, the synthetic marijuana blends sold as "Spice" and "K2", are labeled as potpurri or incense. The chemicals are sprayed onto herbs and spices and then sold for at least $10 per gram.

Sold under the names like "Ivory Wave" and "Cloud Nine", the bath salts can either be smoked or injected and can resemble the effects of LSD, Cocaine, Ecstasy. Both of these have been suspected for overdose deaths and sicknesses across the nation.

Possession is a misdemeanor. Distributing the drugs would be a felony and manufacturing them would be punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

Military Wants To Ban Synthetic Marijuana Sellers

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY.com) - The military wants to ban synthetic marijuana sellers, and heard from local retailers selling Spice on Thursday.

Former Marine, Andy Martin drove an hour and a half to get to Lazy Dayz Hookah Lounge in Newport News. "Keeps kids from running out on the streets, doing drugs, you can come in here, lounge, get a hookah, get on your laptop, sit on a couch with your friends and do your thing," said Martin.

The Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board heard from business owners selling Spice.

"It was part public flogging, part sincere information seeking," said Lazy Dayz Owner Jay Sedwick.

Sedwick and co-owner Andrew Erickson presented their side. "We don't sell to people in uniform or fatigues or anyone that has a military ID," said the owners.

The Military said it will put Lazy Dayz and any other business on the Off Limits List if it doesn't stop selling Spice. Spice is on the military's zero tolerance policy. It's packaged and sold as an incense, but when smoked, acts like marijuana.

Andy Martin showed WAVY.com the kind he likes.

"It's comatose candy," said Martin.

Comatose candy is just one brand of Spice.

Lazy Dayz owners said it's unfair for the military to put them on the Off Limits List, especially since they say servicemembers are a huge part of their clientele.

"With service men and women coming back from Iraq, Dubai, Afghanistan, Hookah smoking is a big hobby over there," said Sedwick.

So, why not stop selling Spice?

"They definitely asked us that, there's a huge demand for it, we're in America we shouldn't have to choose one market over another," said Sedwick.

Sedwick and Erickson believe if the military bans all the big spice selling shops, service members will likely buy spice from smaller shops and gas stations, that they say could sell a more dangerous counterfeit version of the product.

"I hope they'll see our side and will take into consideration what we said," said Sedwick.

Lazy Dayz does not allow customers to smoke spice in the Hookah lounge.

The Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board will make a recommendation to the Regional Commander next week.

The admiral will then make the final decision and a letter will be sent to the business.

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