Denver: Over 40 Illnesses Linked to Synthetic Marijuana (‘Black Mamba’) Upgraded to Public Health Outbreak

Denver: Over 40 Illnesses Linked to Synthetic Marijuana (‘Black Mamba’) Upgraded to Public Health Outbreak
Zachary Stieber
9/6/2013
Updated:
7/18/2015

Over 40 people have gone to Denver-area hospitals over the past two weeks because of sickness linked to synthetic marijuana, or varieties of chemicals that mimic marijuana’s effect but are not natural.

The type in question is titled “Black Mamba,” though investigators haven’t been able to trace it to a single source.

Denver Public Health officials are upgrading the series of illnesses to a public health outbreak, reported 7News on Thursday night

“It means we’re seeing a disease or people showing up for a condition above what we would normally see,” said Karri Hobaica, emergency preparedness director at Denver Public Health. “We’re seeing cases above levels that we should be seeing them at.”

Officials across the state will share information on Friday morning to try to find common links and further the investigation into the source. Hobaica said officials are trying to figure out why so many people are sick all at once.

“In terms of the fact it hasn’t spread like a normal disease like flu, this is being passed around and being sold,” she said. “It’s more difficult in that respect, because it’s not what we normally deal with.”