Health officials in Maryland have reported two more cases of severe bleeding problems in people who used synthetic marijuana. 

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Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings from Baltimore are working on legislation that requires the federal government to provide $10 billion to help fight the opioid crisis. The planned legislation was released Wednesday.

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When Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued an advisory calling for more people to carry naloxone — not just people at overdose risk, but also friends and family — experts and advocates were almost giddy.

But the drug’s price is an issue, said Dr. Leana Wen, the city’s health commissioner, and an emergency physician. She suggested that the federal government negotiate directly for a lower price, or give more money to organizations and agencies like hers so they can afford to maintain an adequate supply.

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Health officials in Maryland have reported two more cases of severe bleeding problems in people who used synthetic marijuana.

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Baltimore's health commissioner is joining the call urging people to stay away from fake marijuana as cases of severe bleeding by users tick upward. 

Dr. Leana Wen says synthetic cannabinoids, frequently touted as natural products, are in fact "extremely dangerous." In a statement, she says the substance has untested chemical compounds that can have "devastating effects for users."

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On the April edition of Healthwatch, with Dr. Leana Wen: 

Dr. Wen discusses the city's first Stabilizatoin Center, cuts to the city's teen pregnancy prevention programs, and a new initiative to reduce falls among senior citizens. She answers our questions for the hour, and takes your calls, emails and tweets about your public health concerns.

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Baltimore officials say a plan to curb hospitalizations and emergency department visits related to older adults falling has been announced. A Baltimore City Health Department news release says Mayor Catherine E. Pugh and Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen announced the new strategy Monday.

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Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen added her voice to the chorus warning about the dangers of synthetic marijuana after four people in the state this month were hospitalized for extreme bleeding after taking the drugs.

Wen said the drugs are often marketed as natural but contain untested chemical compounds that can harm or kill. People who use synthetic marijuana play “Russian Roulette” because they don’t know what they are taking, Wen said in a statement.

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There’s a reason Baltimore City banned stores from selling so-called synthetic marijuana in 2016. The substance, often branded as “K2” or “Spice” and sold at gas stations and corner stores, is usually made with a potpourri of leaves and various unknown chemicals designed to mirror marijuana’s effects. It’s been known to induce severe physical problems, such as heart attacks, kidney failure and extreme bleeding.

In light of the synthetic weed scare, Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen issued a reminder and a warning about the stuff on Tuesday. She noted three of Maryland’s four cases have been patients from the Baltimore area.

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An op-ed by Evan Behrle, Special Advisor for Opioid Policy at the Health Department and Dr. Leana S. Wen, Baltimore City Health Commissioner:

In Baltimore, we spend a lot of time training people to use naloxone, the antidote medication that reverses an opioid overdose. At these trainings, we talk about the opioid epidemic — what caused it and how it escalated so quickly. These explanations are often unnecessary. Our city’s residents know the opioid epidemic. It has taken people they loved.

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