Statistics and Facts

• A review of harm and injury resulting from synthetic marijuana found that using this drug often leads to death, seizures and psychosis.
• In Illinois, synthetic cannabinoids* were mixed with rat poison and sold. This batch injured more than 170 people, and five of them died.
• In New Zealand, 58 deaths were linked to the synthetic cannabinoid AMB-FUBINACA† over a 20-month period. Two of these cases involved fatal car accidents, and two people died by suicide. Some people simply collapsed and died after using the drug.
• Numerous fatal car accidents have been documented involving people under the influence of synthetic marijuana:
• While jogging, a 62-year-old man was hit by a 20-year-old man who tested positive for synthetic marijuana.
• Another 20-year-old man crashed into a tree and died after smoking synthetic marijuana.
• A brother and sister were killed when a garbage truck, driven by someone who admitted using synthetic marijuana, crossed 500 feet over a highway divider at 55 mph and sliced off the roof of their car.

* cannabinoid: a chemical derived from the Indian hemp plant (cannabis) or made synthetically that affects the brain, mood, memory and pain

† AMB-FUBINACA: a combination of letters that represents the complete chemical structure of this synthetic cannabinoid

Updated: 2025