Illnesses linked to synthetic cannabinoid (SC) use continue to occur, in spite of recent media attention and increased legislation banning these products. Public misconceptions that these drugs are safe and legal persist. Between January and April 2015, calls about adverse effects of synthetic cannabinoid use to the National Poison Data System increased 330%. Since then, clusters of synthetic cannabinoid-related severe illness, including death, have continued to occur in multiple states. Severe adverse effects from SCs have included agitated delirium, psychosis, seizures, rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney injury, stroke, myocardial infarction, and death.

Effective surveillance and response are hindered by challenges related to detecting SCs in product samples and diagnosing SC-related illness in patients. Novel SCs are constantly being developed; new SCs can have unpredictable health effects and few specialized laboratories can detect the newest toxic agents. Since SCs cause nonspecific clinical effects and are not detected by routine drug screens, clinical diagnosis relies on either the presence of SCs at the scene or the patient or a bystander reporting a history of SC use. Furthermore, products marketed as a particular SC or another illicit drug could instead contain mixtures of SCs or other harmful substances. The need for increased epidemiologic and laboratory capacity, as well as the need for increased communication between healthcare (including medical examiner’s and coroner’s offices), public health, and law enforcement, present opportunities to identify feasible measures to curb SC use as an emerging public health threat.

During this session, panelists will present a brief overview of synthetic cannabinoid epidemiology and their state and local responses, followed by a discussion where participants can exchange ideas on how to strengthen surveillance and laboratory capacity, increase collaboration between state and local health departments, and develop effective public messaging.

The key objectives of this panel are the following:

• Provide an update on the epidemiology of recent clusters of illness in 4 state and local health departments associated with synthetic cannabinoids
• Identify opportunities for further discussion and collaboration between public health officials to improve investigation of and surveillance for synthetic cannabinoid-related illness
• Elicit recommendations for surveillance, data collection, educational tools, media talking points, and strategies for working with law enforcement and poison centers to address the evolving public health problem of synthetic cannabinoid use