Man Arrested After Link to Over 100 Synthetic Marijuana OD's
A 53-year-old New Haven, Connecticut, man has been arrested in connection with a batch of synthetic marijuana that caused over 100 overdoses, according to the New York Post.
Authorities say they caught John Parker with 32 bags of the substance, known as K2, during an arrest on Friday.
Many of the overdoses had occurred in just one park in the Connecticut city. The park is known as “The Green.”
Victims of the overdoses identified Parker “as one of the people who was dealing K2 on the New Haven Green, where most of the overdoses occurred Wednesday and Thursday, Police Chief Anthony Campbell said,” the Post reported.
“No deaths were reported, and officials said most people recovered quickly.
“Parker, who was arrested Wednesday, was charged with drug crimes after being found in possession of the K2 bags, Campbell said. He was also charged in connection with drug sales in the city earlier this year, the chief said.
“Campbell also said two other people were arrested — one by New Haven police and one by federal authorities — but investigators were trying to determine whether they were connected to the overdoses.”
Parker was held on $225,000 bond. It was unclear, however, whether all of the bad doses had been accounted for.
While synthetic cannabinoids bear similarities to the natural drugs found in marijuana, there are key differences, particularly in how they affect users.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, they can cause extreme anxiety, psychosis, rapid heart rate, violent behavior, vomiting and suicidal thoughts, among other effects.
“Authorities described chaotic scenes at the park near Yale University, with people falling unconscious at the same time,” the Post reported.
“Others became nauseated and vomited, officials said. Some people who overdosed returned to the green and overdosed again, officials said.”
“We want people to be warned that what they have could be extremely dangerous and they should not use it,” Chief Campbell said.
Two other individuals were arrested in connection with the drug sales.
Felix Melenedez, 37, was already serving a two-year probation sentence for selling the same drug on the green. It was unclear whether or not he had anything to do with the overdoses.
The name of the third person arrested in connection with the operation wasn’t immediately available.
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