(Photo by Fine Herbal Incense)

(Photo by Fine Herbal Incense)

D.C. experienced another spike in hospitalizations due to the synthetic cannabinoid known as K2 this week, D.C. Fire and EMS confirms to DCist.

On Wednesday, first responders made contact with 27 patients and transported 20 of them to the hospital for symptoms likely related to K2 overdose, a spokesperson for FEMS says. On Thursday, they made 61 patient contacts, and transported 47 of those to the hospital. Officials are investigating five deaths in the last 24 hours they think may be related to synthetic drug overdoses, reports Mark Segraves at NBC Washington.

There was one cluster of overdoses around P and North Capitol Street NW, though FEMS says they don’t have exact numbers about how many people were found or treated there.

This is the latest spike, after more than 200 people were transported to the hospital and at least three died after a particularly potent strain of the drug entered the city in July of this year.

After the increase in hospitalizations in July, the numbers have generally gone down again, until now. On Tuesday, FEMS says, first responders only made contact with 10 people total for suspected K2 overdose symptoms.

The Washington Post reports that a number of children walking to school with their families passed by at least one victim of an overdose in the cluster near P and North Capitol NW.

“Some students walking with families to school this morning walked past at least one of the adults. There were no incidents on or abutting school property,” the letter reportedly said. “We know that some of our students may struggle to understand why these events happen and, more importantly, how they can be prevented. Mundo Verde staff will continue to reassure students, that schools are generally very safe places for children, reiterating what safety measures and student supports are in place.”

K2 is a synthetic drug that’s meant to replicate the effects of marijuana, but actually has little in common with the drug. It’s constructed to bind perfectly with cannabinoid receptors in the brain, which makes its effects much more potent.

As DCist reported shortly after the outbreak back in July, the drug is dangerous because it’s unpredictable: the colorful K2 packages, often decorated with cartoon characters, contain potpourri laced with a medley of chemicals that aren’t consistent, and can end up being more intense than people expect.

The D.C. Department of Health and Human Services is deploying people to areas where the overdoses are clustering to spread information about the dangers of the drug and make sure water is available.

More:
The “Zombie-Like” Overdoses In D.C. And What The City’s Doing To Stop Them
‘Synthetic Marijuana’ Actually Has Very Little In Common With Marijuana

This story has been updated with news about fatalities.

Filed Under: k2, overdoses,