Leesburg police warn of increase of medical emergencies from K2, Spice use

K2 is a powerful synthetic form of marijuana. Believe it or not, its original intent was to be burned as incense. But people across the country are inhaling it to get high. Now, the Leesburg Police Department is reporting a growing problem.

It is not only the use of it that has Leesburg police very concerned. The department is seeing an uptick in medical emergencies.

Just last year, the Leesburg Police Department investigated 40 cases involving synthetic marijuana. The cases resulted in officers seizing K2 or people experiencing medical emergencies after using it -- some of them were children.

"We are responding more and more to people who overdosed on this product and they are putting themselves in the hospital," said Leesburg Police Lt. Jeff Dube.

And they are the lucky ones. K2 or Spice can and does kill. Psychotic episodes and seizures are often symptoms of deadly overdoses.

But the death toll is tough to calculate because drug tests able to recognize active agents in synthetic marijuana are not normally used in emergency rooms.

"We have pulled it off students at our schools as well as adults," said Lt. Dube. "We have pulled it off of drivers that we've stopped at traffic stops."

Besides confiscating it, Leesburg police officers are more frequently getting those medical calls. They want parents to know about K2 to help protect their kids.

K2 is illegal in Virginia and every other state, including Washington D.C.

We are only 22 days into the new year and Leesburg police have already seen 14 new cases involving K2 or Spice.