A synthetic marijuana user developed severe blood clotting failure and cardiac arrest from hidden rat poison
A case report documents severe disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) and cardiac arrest in a synthetic cannabinoid user, traced to brodifacoum (rat poison) contamination, adding to the growing epidemic of unintentional poisoning.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
The patient developed severe coagulopathy and cardiac arrest after synthetic cannabinoid use contaminated with brodifacoum. The case illustrates the life-threatening potential of contaminated synthetic cannabinoid products and the difficulty of detection through standard drug screening.
Key Numbers
Severe coagulopathy documented. Cardiac arrest occurred. Brodifacoum identified as the contaminant. Standard drug screening unable to detect synthetic cannabinoids.
How They Did This
Single case report documenting the clinical presentation, workup, and management of DIC and cardiac arrest secondary to brodifacoum-contaminated synthetic cannabinoid use.
Why This Research Matters
This case adds to the mounting evidence of a synthetic cannabinoid contamination crisis. Unlike previous reports focusing on bleeding, this case involved both DIC and cardiac arrest, demonstrating the extreme end of the toxicity spectrum.
The Bigger Picture
Each case of synthetic cannabinoid contamination reinforces the public health argument that unregulated drug markets create dangers that would not exist with regulated products. The brodifacoum contamination pattern has been documented across multiple US states.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Single case report. Cannot determine how common this specific presentation is. The mechanism by which brodifacoum contaminates synthetic cannabinoid products remains unclear.
Questions This Raises
- ?How widespread is brodifacoum contamination of synthetic cannabinoids?
- ?Would expanded legalization of natural cannabis reduce synthetic cannabinoid use?
- ?How can emergency departments better screen for this toxicity?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- DIC + cardiac arrest
- Evidence Grade:
- Rated preliminary because this is a single case report.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2019.
- Original Title:
- Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy Secondary to Unintentional Brodifacoum Poisoning via Synthetic Marijuana.
- Published In:
- Journal of hematology, 8(1), 40-43 (2019)
- Authors:
- Chan, Abigail, Adashek, Michael, Kang, Julian, Medina, Adriana
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01974
Evidence Hierarchy
Describes what happened to one person or a small group.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How did synthetic marijuana cause a cardiac arrest?
The synthetic cannabinoid product was contaminated with brodifacoum (rat poison), causing severe blood clotting dysfunction that led to DIC and ultimately cardiac arrest.
Can you test for synthetic cannabinoid contamination?
Standard drug screens do not detect synthetic cannabinoids, and brodifacoum testing requires specific laboratory analysis. This makes identification challenging in the emergency setting.
Read More on RethinkTHC
- 420-sober-survival-guide
- CBT-cannabis-recovery
- THC-purity-potency-label-meaning
- cannabis-relapse-cycle-pattern
- cold-turkey-vs-taper-quit-weed
- dab-concentrate-addiction-withdrawal
- dating-sober-after-quitting-weed
- delta-8-addiction-withdrawal
- edible-addiction-withdrawal-different
- edibles-psychosis-emergency-room
- exercise-quitting-weed-anxiety-brain
- grieving-quitting-weed-loss
- healthiest-way-to-consume-cannabis
- help-someone-quit-weed
- how-cannabis-products-made-concentrates-edibles
- how-to-quit-weed
- journaling-weed-withdrawal
- laced-weed-fentanyl-contaminated-vape
- legal-weed-vs-street-weed-quality-safety
- marijuana-anonymous-SMART-recovery-compare
- meditation-mindfulness-weed-withdrawal
- partner-still-smokes-weed
- partner-still-smokes-weed-quitting
- pink-cloud-sobriety-cannabis
- quit-weed-cold-turkey
- quit-weed-or-cut-back-which-is-better
- quit-weed-regret-went-back
- quitting-dabs-withdrawal
- quitting-edibles-withdrawal
- quitting-weed-20s
- quitting-weed-30s
- quitting-weed-after-years
- quitting-weed-during-crisis-divorce-job-loss
- quitting-weed-exercise
- quitting-weed-grief-loss-coping
- quitting-weed-legal-state
- quitting-weed-success-stories
- quitting-weed-triggers-environment
- relapsed-smoking-weed-what-to-do
- relapsed-weed
- sativa-vs-indica-difference-myth
- should-i-quit-weed
- sober-music-festival-concert-without-weed
- supplements-weed-withdrawal
- telling-friends-quitting-weed
- weed-potency-withdrawal
- weed-relapse-prevention-plan
- weed-relapse-why-it-happens
- weed-ritual-replacement
- weed-ruined-relationships
- weed-social-media-triggers-quit
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01974APA
Chan, Abigail; Adashek, Michael; Kang, Julian; Medina, Adriana. (2019). Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy Secondary to Unintentional Brodifacoum Poisoning via Synthetic Marijuana.. Journal of hematology, 8(1), 40-43. https://doi.org/10.14740/jh486
MLA
Chan, Abigail, et al. "Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy Secondary to Unintentional Brodifacoum Poisoning via Synthetic Marijuana.." Journal of hematology, 2019. https://doi.org/10.14740/jh486
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy Secondary to Uninten..." RTHC-01974. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/chan-2019-disseminated-intravascular-coagulopathy-secondary
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.