At least 16 people have been sent to the hospital after believing to have indulged synthetic marijuana at Hermann Park in Houston, Texas.

Ruy Lozano of the Houston Fire Department stated that while specifics are not known at this time, some of the victims were experiencing symptoms of having used synthetic marijuana and many Kush wrappers were found on the ground.

Apparently Hermann Park is well known for being an area that synthetic marijuana enthusiasts go to experiment with the drug. According to Chris Stipes of Fox 26, “Kush, or synthetic marijuana wrappers litter the park and that’s nothing new according to emergency crews and to one man we met at the park.”

Synthetic marijuana first came into the limelight around 2013, when certain people began showing rabid, zombie-like behavior after ingesting the product. The fact that so many people continue to think smoking the drug is an intelligent idea is baffling, but it’s still a major problem. After all of the disastrous effects that have come out of it, it’s shocking that people still continue to partake in Kush and other forms of synthetic marijuana.

Events like this further stigmatize natural cannabis, which has a multitude of health benefits without the risk of turning its users into characters out of a horror movie. Hemp powder is particularly popular and beneficial, as it is a vegan-friendly source of protein that contains 21 amino acids. According to Natural News, “It is a unique formula developed to nourish your entire body in a completely natural, plant-based manner.”

There’s so much evidence to support the legalization of cannabis that it’s unfathomable how it has yet to be legalized on the federal level. It seems as though we receive new evidence every day to support the medicinal, healthy use of the plant.

It’s only a matter of time before cannabis is legalized across the United States — as it should be — but synthetic marijuana continues to set it back year after year with awful, avoidable events such as this one.

Sources:

Fox 26

KHOU

Inside Edition

Natural News