'Scooby Snax' Have Police On High Alert

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. (WJZ)--It's an ever changing battle for police and what some think is harmless is nearly killing people.

As Marcus Washington reports, synthetic marijuana has police in Anne Arundel County on alert.

It's known as synthetic, but these fake drugs --meant to mimic marijuana, are causing major problems.

"They're catering to children when they're labeling this, drug essentially, as a Scooby Snack and these are things we've tried to educate the public about and we have four people, that two of them are fighting for their live in reference to this," police said.

Thursday Anne Arundel County Police responded to a homeless camp in Glen Burnie on Rt. 648 near Rt. 10, where four people are unresponsive.

It's a similar problem seen across the county.

Once at the hospital, it was found the four took a synthetic drug called "Scooby Snax".

Police have also seen similar problems with "Spice" and "K-2".

"They've tried to address it in the laws, but they change these things so many different ways, because they're chemicals, and we can't keep up with the laws and the legal matter reference to [the drugs]," said Lt. T.J. Smith, Anne Arundel County Police.

Last year there were laws passed to make the synthetic marijuana illegal, but keeping up with the every changing ingredients in the so called drug makes stopping some sells impossible.

"While it might be legal for them to sell, the law states you can only sell tobacco or this particular product," Smith said.

That's why police want parents to know and be on the lookout for what kids may often think is harmless because it called synthetic, because the result of taking the substance can be anything but fake.

"Scooby got them for solving mysteries and the mystery here is why anybody would want to inhale this stuff when people are teetering on the verge of death right now as a result of something that is virtually legal, but still not good for you."

Anne Arundel Police Investigation Unit administered a search and seizure warrant on a business in the area where they found several more packages of the "Scooby Snax".