Teen taken to hospital after bad trip smoking ‘herbal incense’

Tuesday, April 10, 2012, 5:12 p.m. — A 19-year-old Nelson County man was transported to Flaget Memorial Hospital Tuesday about 5 p.m. complaining of shortness of breath and a racing heartbeat after smoking what is known as “herbal incense.” The teen told EMTs he has been smoking the substance on a daily basis for about two years, and this was the first negative reaction he has experienced. Herbal incense is a form of synthetic cannabis, and studies have suggested  that synthetic cannabinoid intoxication is associated with acute psychosis, worsening of previously stable psychotic disorders, and also may have the ability to trigger a long-term psychotic disorder among vulnerable individuals such as those with a family history of mental illness.

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