A Fort Hood soldier who deployed to Liberia last October to set up Ebola treatment facilities and died upon return to Texas, appears to have died as a result of synthetic cannabinoids use, according to a Military Times report Thursday.
Image/DEA
The Killeen, TX medical examiner says Kendrick Vernell Sneed died from “synthetic cannabinoid intoxication”.
In mid-January, Sneed was found dead outside his off-base apartment in Killeen and because of his work in Liberia, he was tested for Ebola Virus Disease, which turned out to be negative.
Spice, or synthetic marijuana is not a natural product. It is an unsafe mixture of plant products and chemicals that have powerful effects on the mind and body. Spice products contain unpredictable chemicals in unregulated amounts, with more extreme health effects than marijuana. Typical symptoms are: Severeagitation, hyperactivity and anxiety; racing heartbeat and higher blood pressure; muscle spasms, seizures, and tremors; intense hallucinations and psychotic episodes and coma.
Users of synthetic marijuana can experience these symptoms or others, in varying strength. Because there is no control of the types or amount of chemicals it contains, users have no way of knowing what they are ingesting.
Spice products go by many names: K2, Mojo, Skunk, Spice Diamond, Moon Rocks and Yucatan Fire, to name a few. They resemble shredded plants or potpourri and are usually labeled “not for human consumption” to avoid regulation. Some may be sold as incense.
One thought on “‘Spice’ linked to death of Fort Hood soldier”