The autopsy of a Lowndes County man who may have died as a result of using synthetic marijuana came back inconclusive Tuesday and a toxicity review is the next step in the case.
Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant told The Dispatch this morning that when 33-year-old John Chism was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle on Sunday, doctors were told he had recently used a form of synthetic marijuana commonly known as spice.
Merchant said it could be several weeks until the toxicity report is completed.
Because spice is a relatively new phenomenon, medical examiners have limited resources.
“There have been so few studies, there’s really not enough data at this point,” Merchant said.
The unknowns of spice — including which chemicals different labs use to make their compounds — are what make it dangerous, the coroner said.
“The safest thing is to leave the synthetic stuff alone,” Merchant said.
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