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‘Spice’ use spiking in region

Posted at 9:15 PM, May 11, 2015
and last updated 2015-05-11 21:22:23-04

RICHMOND, Va. -- A warning about synthetic marijuana better known as "Spice."

In the past few weeks, some users have landed in the emergency room of local hospitals, including two at Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg, that are currently in ICU, because they came in comatose.

Dr. Boyd Wickizer, Chief Medical Officer at SRMC says, "Our last three cases were in critical need, potential for death."

Colonial Heights Police have investigated several incidents recently, including a car accident where the driver had used Spice.

The Virginia Department of Health is now asking local health care providers if they have a case that may involve spice, to alert the Virginia Poison Center, which is now tracking cases.

"They were seeing an increase in the D.C. area south, now we're seeing it in the Southern Virginia area north," Wickizer said.

Wickizer adds there is cause for concern because the current Spice could be deadly.

"It is in fact increasingly dangerous, for it's potency, for its variability, for it's unpredictability," Wickizer said.

VDH sent a letter to health care providers that says recent cases in Virginia are different from ones associated with Spice when it first became prevalent several years ago.

Dr. Wickizer says the changes in the ingredients are the reason behind some of the current problems.

"Certainly the patients we are seeing, are in greater danger, absolutely," Wickizer said.

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