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"Spice" patients increasing, Test confirms marijuana brownies, Battle of Selma re-enactment

More and more patients are showing up to Alabama’s hospitals after smoking a synthetic drug commonly known as “Spice”.

The Alabama Department of Public Health says hospitals reported 462 patients from March 15 through April 20 experiencing symptoms after smoking or ingesting Spice.

Officials say the drug has led to 96 hospitalizations and two deaths in the state.

Spice is a synthetic drug that’s designed to mimic the effects of marijuana but those effects can be much more dangerous.

Experts warn about the drug's hazards. Symptoms can include rapid heart rate, nausea, vomiting, hallucinations and kidney and respiratory problems. Long-term health effects are unknown.

The patients' ages ranged from young teens to older adults, but officials say most patients were males in their 20s and 30s.

A laboratory test has confirmed that a batch of brownies given to an Alabama prosecutor's staff contained marijuana.

Two people who work for Baldwin County District Attorney Hallie Dixon got sick earlier this month after eating brownies at the office. Dixon says a temporary court reporter gave her staff the treats.

WKRG-TV reports  says a lab test of the brownies found THC, an intoxicating chemical found in marijuana.

Dixon says she doesn't know if anyone can be charged for the pot brownies. She's asked a district attorney from another county to look at the case. The Alabama Bureau of Investigation has not released the name of the court reporter.

The roar of cannons and the crack of gunfire will be heard near Selma starting today. Civil War re-enactors will observe the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Selma.

The actual battle took place in 1865 between Union General James Wilson and Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Wilson was just twenty eight years old when he won the battle of Selma.

Edward Longacre is General Wilson’s biographer. He describes him as one of the Civil War’s boy Generals…

“He was actually a more distinguished boy general as the one we think of as the pre-eminent boy general, George Armstrong Custer. In fact, Wilson and Custer served together and for a short period of time, Custer served under Wilson’s command. So Wilson was the more senior officer.”

The re-enactment of the Civil War Battle of Selma will continue through Sunday.

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