3 people now dead from synthetic drug use

It is a human-made chemical that is sprayed on dried plant materials and meant to be smoked or vaped.

Health officials in IL are warning people about mock marijuana that is spreading across Chicago and the central part of the state, causing severe bleeding among users and, in some cases, death.

Two of the deaths have been men in their 20s; the third was a man in his 40s, IDPH said.

Users of the drug have experienced coughing up blood, blood in the urine, severe bloody nose, bleeding gums, and/or internal bleeding.

Officials say numerous samples have tested positive for brodifacoum; a lethal anticoagulant often used in rat poison.

In a statement on April 9, Nirav D. Shah, MD, JD, director of the IDPH, said that the agency has since seen the number of cases rise daily.

Advocate Eureka Hospital in Eureka has had two patients with bleeding after using synthetic cannabinoids since Friday and both were treated and released, spokesman Eric Alvin said. "A lot of people don't know is what chemicals are in there, and in this situation what we're seeing is it's laced with rat poison".

Illinois' synthetic pot death toll is up to three. This makes synthetic marijuana both extremely unpredictable and risky.

A third person has died after using synthetic cannabis, with more than 100 affected by what may be a contaminated batch of the drug.

The chemicals are similar to those found in natural marijuana. While they are meant to mimic the effects of marijuana, they are often far more unsafe for users. The products, which have been around for years, can be smoked or vaporized in e-cigarettes and are commonly sold in convenience stores, gas stations and drug paraphernalia shops across the United States.

Synthetic cannabinoids are classified as a controlled substance and their possession can lead to misdemeanor or felony charges depending on the amount possessed.

HEALTH- Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a bleeding outbreak advisory regarding synthetic marijuana.

"The synthetic cannabinoids were packaged in sealed containers and labeled with such names as "Matrix, ' 'Blue Giant" and 'Crazy Monkey, '" federal agents said about the drugs associated with these cases. Many synthetic cannabinoids also are illegal.