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49 overdoses linked to synthetic marijuana

Published  May 20, 2018 12:07pm EDT
News
FOX 5 New York

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Police are warning New York City residents about the dangerous drug K2 found in packets like this. (NYPD)

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - Dozens of people were hospitalized in New York City over the weekend due to bad reactions to the synthetic marijuana known as K2. The city has now issued a warning about the incredibly toxic batch of the drug that is on the streets.

Police responded to the intersection of Broadway and Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood Saturday just after 7 p.m. where numerous people were reported to be in zombie-like states after bad reactions to the drug. Police said the 49 victims were all taken to hospitals and there were no fatalities.

“K2 is a dangerous, deadly drug, but this strain is especially threatening," NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan said. “Residents are urged to call 911 immediately if they or someone they know are showing symptoms of overdoses.”

The NYPD is making arrests for the sale of K2, including 16 arrests over past few days, and is currently investigating the specific source of the drug distribution.

Police say 33 people overdosed from K2 at the same location in 2016.

K2 is a name for a synthetic compound that mimics the effect of THC, the most psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. The drug can be many times as potent as the THC in marijuana.