16 more Wisconsinites sickened by rat poison-laced synthetic cannabinoids in past month
Wisconsin's rat poison outbreak is not over.
At least 16 residents have experienced severe bleeding this month from consuming rat poison in products that mimic marijuana, the state health department reported Sept. 18.
Since the beginning of the outbreak in March, one person died and at least 80 people have had severe bleeding from consuming rat poison. The poison recently started showing up in synthetic cannabinoids, often called K2 and spice.
Victims include people from age 16 to over 50 in Milwaukee, Dane, Outagamie, Rock and Fond du Lac counties.
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The products are often marketed as incense and labeled "not for consumption." But they're used as an alternative to marijuana because they contain a chemical similar to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
It's unclear how or why rat poison (brodifacoum) got into these products, which are sold in convenience stores and online. Manufacturers, often based abroad, do not share their formulas and are not regulated. While some cannabinoids have been banned, laws haven't kept up with the changing formulas.