Hemorrhagic stroke following use of the synthetic marijuana “spice”

Abstract

The association between the street drug spice (K-2 or herbal incense), a synthetic marijuana, and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) has not yet been described, but it has with acute ischemic stroke (AIS),1 seizure, and myocardial infarction.2 Two young patients (31 and 25 years old) independently presented to our hospital with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) after spice inhalation. The first also had 2 large intraparenchymal hemorrhages (IPH); the other also had AIS. Both were previously healthy without hypertension, coagulopathy, bleeding diathesis, thrombocytopenia, intracranial aneurysm, arteriovenous malformation, connective tissue disease, or anticoagulant/antiplatelet medication use.