New London — Emergency medical service providers report a recent spike in the number of overdoses caused by so-called synthetic marijuana, marketed as K2 and Spice among other names.

While occasional increases in the number of overdose patients is not all that unusual, the severity of the symptoms in many recent cases is far from ordinary, according to Dr. Oliver Mayorga, chairman of emergency medicine at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital.

“Something is going on,” Mayorga said. “Within the last two to three weeks we are seeing (patients) sicker than we’ve ever seen them.”

Synthetic marijuana is most commonly marketed as incense and resembles potpourri. Typical signs and symptoms of someone on K2 are agitation, altered mental status, lethargy and confusion.

A recent influx of patients have exhibited signs of extreme agitation and respiratory depression “to the point you need to breathe for the patient,” something typically seen with heroin overdoses, Mayorga said.

At least one person was taken to the hospital's intensive care unit and placed on a ventilator. On one occasion multiple patients arrived at the emergency room at the same time, he said.

Between seven and 10 of the overdose transports by paramedics over the last two weeks can be attributed to K2, said Ron Kersey, the emergency medical services coordinator at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital. The New London Fire Department reports responding to nine calls over the last 10 days.

Part of the problem for emergency medical personnel is overdose patients can display a variety of symptoms, from calm and lethargic to violent and agitated, Kersey said.

“It poses a danger for EMS,” Kersey said. “They just don’t know what they’re walking into.”

New London Acting Police Chief Peter Reichard said there were at least three incidents last week where individuals were under the influence of some form of substance, believed to be K2, and all displayed violence toward police.

Police have said in the past that people with substance abuse issues who are on probation will risk the health consequences of using the drug to avoid positive drug test results.

Treatment for a K2 overdose, Kersey said, is limited to supportive therapy such as airway management because no one is quite sure what is in the drug creating the high.

While K2 is marketed as synthetic marijuana and might appear to be a plant-like substance, it is the unknown chemical additives creating the high. Synthetic marijuana and other designer drugs used to be available in convenience stores but the synthetic compounds common to the drug have since been classified as a schedule 1 controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is illegal to sell, buy, or possess them.

Catherine Zall, executive director of the New London Homeless Hospitality Center, said the drug has been around for years and continues to cause problems.

“I know a few have gone into intensive care and we didn’t know if they were going to live or not. I thought it was illegal now. How are people still getting it?” Zall said.

Mayorga wondered the same thing.

“It’s very strange. I thought they shut down local distribution," Mayorga said. "There’s got to be some new distributor around. That’s my guess, but I’m a doctor, noa detective.”

g.smith@theday.com

Twitter: @SmittyDay