by Chris Cannon
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Doctors at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage have noticed a disturbing trend in their emergency department. In just the last week, four young men have come in seeking treatment for heart trouble.
Test results showed two of those men had full-blown myocardial infarctions.
"Heart attacks, actual heart attack in somebody who's young," explained Dr. Jeff Greenlee.
The common denominator between the four men, in their late teens and early 20s, was marijuana usage.
"There's potential that the supply of marijuana could be laced with K2, there's always that possibility. Certainly in these cases that was our suspicion," Dr. Greenlee said.
K2 is a synthetic drug, now banned in Tennessee. But a new generation of the cannabinoid is already on the market.
The two men who suffered heart attacks may have very well done permanent damage to their heart muscle.
"In general, when patients have a heart attack, they will have some kind of permanent injury," the doctor explained.
The fact that pot may have been laced with the synthetic drug troubles physicians at Summit.
"They may think they're just smoking benign marijuana and come in with a real heart attack," said Dr. Greenlee.
Prominent medical journals have now documented a possible link between teen heart attacks and the use of these "fake marijuana" products.
If someone uses this, knowingly or unknowingly, it will not show up on a drug test, making it tough for doctors to make a clear link to problems.
Email: ccannon@newschannel5.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/NC5ChrisCannon
Twitter: Twitter.com/NC5_ChrisCannon
