Title
Authorizing the Philadelphia City Council Committee on Public Safety to hold hearings examining the life-threatening dangers of synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic opioids and other designer drugs.
Body
WHEREAS, Synthetic cannabinoids, also referred to as K2 or Spice, are designer drugs made of a mixture of herbs and spices that are sprayed with various mind-altering chemical compounds; and
WHEREAS, Synthetic cannabinoids are often marketed as a synthetic alternative to marijuana having the same effects as naturally grown marijuana. However, synthetic cannabinoids, which were first created by scientists doing medical research on the endocannabinoid system of mice, were never intended for human consumption; and
WHEREAS, Studies have shown that use of synthetic cannabinoids can be life-threatening, as the drug may be up to 100 times more potent than naturally grown marijuana; and
WHEREAS, The side effects of synthetic cannabinoids include severe agitation and irritability, aggressiveness, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, muscle spasms, seizures, tremors, hallucinations and psychotic episodes, suicidal thoughts or actions, paralysis, heart and kidney damage, comas, even death; and
WHEREAS, The harmful effects of synthetic cannabinoids were first reported in the United States in 2009. From 2010 to 2015, toxicologists across the country reported treating nearly 500 cases of acute poisoning from synthetic cannabinoids. Additionally, in April of 2015, poison centers across the country had reported receiving 2,365 calls from exposure to synthetic cannabinoids for that year. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported twenty deaths from the use of synthetic cannabinoids between 2011 and 2015. No antidote is presently available for synthetic cannabinoid intoxication; and
WHEREAS, Several cities and states have reported overdoses and deaths related to the drug's usage. In April of 2015, the St...
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