The Drug Enforcement Agency arrested at least 150 people across 29 states on Wednesday morning in a crackdown on synthetic substances that mimic the effects of marijuana, methamphetamine and LSD.
Agents seized hundreds of thousands of individually packaged synthetic drugs, hundreds of kilograms of raw product and more than $20 million in cash assets in states including Maryland, West Virginia, Texas, Alabama, Florida, and New Mexico.
The nationwide sweep comes after more than 100 people in Texas fell ill after consuming synthetic marijuana. Doctors advise against its use because the health effects of the additives are unknown.
Synthetic marijuana has been growing in popularity among teens because it produces a similar high. The drug is is a mixture of cannabis along with other psychoactive plants and synthetic cannabinoids. Known as Spice and K2, among other names, the drug is widely sold online and even over the counter with the label "not for human consumption.
Apart from smoking, synthetic marijuana can also be consumed orally as an infusion. Studies suggest the mixture can produce a stronger high, but abusers report experiencing rapid heart rates, vomiting, agitation and even hallucinations, along with withdrawal and addiction symptoms.
More than 200 new synthetic drugs have been identified in the United States in just the last five years. The DEA believes the vast majority are manufactured in China.
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