Synthetic Marijuana Continues to Kill in Illinois

According to state health officials, a third person has died and about 100 others have been hospitalized due to synthetic marijuana, which causes severe bleeding. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported on Monday that the third victim was a man in his 40s who lived in central Illinois. More than half of those affected reside in the Peoria area.

State medical workers stated that 29 people have been hospitalized in Peoria County over the past few weeks, and 32 cases have been reported in Tazewell County. In total, 107 people have been hospitalized, including three who have died, since March 7.

Many individuals who reported symptoms after using synthetic cannabis later tested positive for a poison commonly used in rodent control. Many had blood in their urine, as well as bleeding from the nose and gums.

According to Dr. Patrick Lank, a medical toxicologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, exposure to the poison causes the body to block the natural use of vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting. People exposed to this poison must take high doses of vitamin K for several weeks or months to recover.