{Charleston, West Virginia}...The Kanawha County Sheriff's Department is investigating the source of a drug blamed for about one dozen overdoses in Charleston. At first, police speculated the drug to be a form of orange-tinted crack cocaine, but Lt. Steve Cooper, chief detective for the Charleston Police Department, says the powdery substance apparently smoked by those who were sickened was confirmed to be AM 2201, a synthetic cannibinoid that has been used to coat synthetic marijuana. Cooper says the chemical apparently was smoked in its pure form and wasn't diluted. He says the users collapsed and showed other signs of overdose. Users experienced extreme anxiety, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, hallucinations, vomiting or seizures. Cooper says the chemical is a Schedule I controlled substance and was banned by the state and federal governments when the synthetic drug laws went into effect last year.
