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Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – Since January, the Upstate New York Poison Center has handled nearly 400 calls related to spike- a form of synthetic marijuana.

As the problem escalates so are issues for paramedics who say the drug makes users disoriented and violent.

“We have no idea what we were going to walk into,” said Heather Drake, a paramedic with Rural Metro. “Whether the person was going to be going after their family because they were so hopped up on something or they were going to go after us.”

Just a few weeks ago Drake says her and her partner walked into an apartment and found a patient  “completely out of their mind.”

“They were flinging their vomit they attacked my partner,” said Drake. “I grabbed my partner and dragged her out of the room.” “The firefighters were in there just trying to control this person because they were trying to harm their family,” added Drake.

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CLEVELAND — Police say a group of kids nearly died Sunday after taking drugs from a stranger they met on the street.

The man allegedly gave them K2, a synthetic form of marijuana.

Witnesses near the intersection of West 117th Street and Headley Avenue described the scene after the kids were seen smoking it on a porch.

“They were really off balance,” said a woman who did not want to be identified.

The teens could then be seen stumbling across the lot of a Dairy Mart, before one of them passed out on a tree lawn.

Trying to help, the witness ran over and saw what they had.

“And the packet was black with a skull head on it,” said the witness. “So whatever it could be, I have no idea, but apparently it’s dangerous.”

Doctors say K2 can be deadly and include symptoms such as hallucinations and aggressive behavior.

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Andrea Truss admitted Tuesday she passed out under the influence of synthetic marijuana while she was supposed to be taking care of her then-11-year-old daughter.

But the 47-year-old Easton woman said she wants another chance to prove she’s able to continue to take care of the girl.

Northampton County Judge Leonard Zito told Truss to put her money where her mouth is, ordering her to report for a drug test at 9 a.m. Wednesday. If she fails, her bail will go from 10 percent of $10,000 to 10 percent of $25,000.

RELATED:  Mom passes out after using synthetic marijuana, police report

Truss pleaded guilty Tuesday to endangering the welfare of a child. The typical sentence for such a charge includes some prison time. She will be sentenced Aug. 7.

“I want to be there for my daughter,” Truss said. “I love my daughter.”

Truss has missed multiple drug tests in recent weeks, failed to attend drug counseling and failed to report in to Northampton County Pre-Trial Services, which monitors individuals on bail. She said she missed the appointments because she was scared.

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