Synthetic Marijuana Costs New York Taxpayers $22.7 Million

Synthetic marijuana cost taxpayers an estimated $22.7 million in health care and law enforcement costs in 2015, according to a recent report by state senators.

The number of New York hospitalizations caused by synthetic marijuana increased to more than 6,800 in 2015. The state spent an additional $3 million in public awareness campaigns, according to the report.

Close up of Synthetic Marijuana

The side effects of synthetic marijuana rarely cause death, but deaths have been reported. In one story detailed in the report, 26-year-old Aaron Stinson smoked synthetic marijuana called “Mr. Nice Guy” and immediately suffered cardiac arrest and died.

“The spread of synthetic drugs is affecting every community and will continue to destroy lives unless more preventive action is taken. For five years, I have sponsored legislation that has passed the Senate on numerous occasions so that we can hold criminals accountable for the creation of new and dangerous drugs that evade our current laws.”

New York Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan in a press release

The report was introduced to the senate on Jan. 25 alongside five bills aimed at reducing the number of synthetic drugs like bath salts, Spice and K2 on the street. The bills would add several substances to the list of New York’s schedule of controlled substances and stiffen penalties for possessing and selling the drugs. The bills were passed by the senate later that day.

“We must KO K2 from upstate to downstate, and today the Senate will send a strong message that synthetic drugs will not be tolerated in our state,” said Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeff Klein in a press release. “My analog bill will ensure that New York keeps ahead of the chemists’ curve and will ban chemicals that mimic controlled substances as they are tweaked, so the law can no longer be subverted.”

The New York Police Department’s organized crime unit arrested 58 people for selling synthetic marijuana in 2015. The dealers make an enormous profit on the drug. It costs about $2,800 to produce one kilogram, which sells for about $87,000. The cost to the state is much higher.

Economic Impact of Synthetic Marijuana

The senate report estimated costs based on data provided by hospitals, Medicaid, government health departments and law enforcement agencies.

Data from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene estimated about 6,000 patients were hospitalized in the city.

Upstate Medical University Hospital at the University of Syracuse treated 590 patients for synthetic drug overdoses during an eighth-month period in 2015, and Crouse Hospital in Syracuse treated 240 patients during a six-month period. The hospitals reported increased costs associated with an increased need for personnel to handle the influx of patients. A lack of knowledge about synthetic drugs also led to costly tests to detect the types of chemicals consumed by patients.

Health care costs analyzed by the report included:

Crouse Hospital
Estimated $247 cost for direct care for synthetic drug overdose patients.
New York Medicaid or Medicaid Managed Care
Estimated $251 cost per patient.
Private insurance reimbursement
Estimated $501 cost per patient.

Medicaid covered about 68 percent of all patients treated for side effects of synthetic drugs in New York in 2015.

The total breakdown of costs were estimated at:

  • $1,165,744 covered by Medicaid.
  • $1,094,985 covered by private insurance and other sources.
  • $2.5 million covered by City of New York hospitals during a three-month period.

Another $1.2 million in ambulance costs was added to the analysis. Other costs included workers compensation claims from correctional officers harmed by inmates exposed to synthetic marijuana. A total of 13 offers were assaulted in nine different incidents in 2015. Inmates exposed to synthetic drugs punched, bit and kicked correctional officers in the incidents. In many cases, multiple officers and mechanical restraints were needed to subdue the inmate.

Impact Across the State

The report calls Onondaga County, home of Syracuse, “the synthetic cannabinoid capital of upstate New York.” More than 50 percent of calls to the Upstate New York Poison Control Center regarding synthetic marijuana came from Onondaga County, according to the report.

“In Onondaga County, synthetic marijuana overdose cases have risen by 580 percent since 2011. We must stop this scourge and educate the public about the danger of synthetic cannabinoids.”

Senator David Valesky (D-Oneida) said in a press release

Exposure to the drugs more than doubled in upstate New York from 2011 to 2015. The number of emergency department visits drastically increased too. The Bronx and Jacobi Medical Center experienced the most hospitalizations related to synthetic marijuana downstate, according to the report.

The New York City Police Department and Sheriff’s Office targeted bodega stores — the most common sellers of the drug — during several raids in 2015. More than 1,700 bodega store owners agreed not to sell the drugs last year, according to the report.

Treating Synthetic Marijuana Addiction in New York

Synthetic marijuana isn’t as addictive as heroin and opioids, but the addiction is serious enough to require treatment at a drug rehab center, according to the report.

New York City skyline

New York’s Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services estimated that outpatient treatment for addiction cost between $426 and $668 in 2012, the most recent year for which data was available. Medication to treat addiction cost about $1,000, according to the report.

There were 48 outpatient rehab clinics that treated synthetic marijuana addiction in New York in 2012, and about 1,265 people received treatment that year. The senate report estimated that about 2,555 people required treatment for synthetic marijuana in 2015. The cost of the treatment and medication cost an estimated $5.3 million.

People suffering from synthetic marijuana addiction should seek professional medical treatment as soon as possible to avoid suffering serious side effects of the drug. Treatment can help people recover from addiction.



Medical Disclaimer: DrugRehab.com aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.

View Sources


Go To:
We're here to help you or your loved one.
Question mark symbol icon

Who am I calling?

Calls will be answered by a qualified admissions representative with Advanced Recovery Systems (ARS), the owners of DrugRehab.com. We look forward to helping you!

Question mark symbol icon

Who am I calling?

Phone calls to treatment center listings not associated with ARS will go directly to those centers. DrugRehab.com and ARS are not responsible for those calls.