“Mad Hatter” Incense Being Abused in Ohio

Health care providers in Ohio are reporting cases of people abusing a type of incense sold under the brand name “Mad Hatter.”

This type of incense is not the same as the sticks that are burned to produce a fragrance, the Lancaster Eagle Gazette reports. Mad Hatter, a form of synthetic marijuana, is a green, leafy substance that can cause hallucinations and increased heart rate.
Last week, Ohio Governor John Kasich signed a law that makes synthetic marijuana and bath salts illegal to sell or possess. Since the law goes into effect in 90 days, Mad Hatter is still legal in the state.

David Davis, Director of the Emergency Services and Trauma Unit for Genesis, a hospital in Zanesville, OH, told the newspaper that they have seen several patients who have used the incense. “Patients are coming in agitated, vomiting, in seizures, paranoid or having hallucinations. The reactions are similar to those when ingesting the bath salts that seem to be on the rise.”

Mad Hatter is sold in three-gram packages that are marked “not for human consumption.” The green packages sell for about $25 each.

While some states have banned synthetic marijuana, also known as “K2” and “Spice,” manufacturers have already developed new formulas that skirt the bans. To avoid this problem, the Ohio bill includes an amendment that would make it illegal to produce any substance that is similar to Spice or bath salts after the bill is signed.