Synthetic weed overdoses overwhelming Pa. hospitals

    Medical officials say hospitals in eastern Pennsylvania are seeing a dramatic increase in synthetic marijuana overdoses.

    The Morning Call reports hospitals in the Lehigh Valley have been flooded with at least a dozen cases since Saturday.

    A toxicologist tells the newspaper the pediatric unit has been filled with many adolescent victims who have displayed symptoms of sleepiness, agitation and sometimes seizures.

    He says they come in kicking and screaming and are delirious.

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    A police chief says downtown Allentown appeared hardest hit by the outbreak, with 50 overdoses since Friday.

    The newspaper reports local prosecutors, police and health officials put out an alert Wednesday to raise awareness of the dangers of synthetic marijuana.

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