5 patients at Ward's Island psychiatric center overdose on synthetic marijuana

VALHALLA, N.Y. (WABC) -- Five psychiatric patients overdosed while smoking a batch of synthetic pot at a Ward's Island psychiatric facility, authorities said Friday.

The patents were reportedly smoking the synthetic pot inside the Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center when they became violently sick at about 8:44 a.m.

Three were unconscious, and the two others were vomiting.

Three were rushed to Harlem Hospital, the other two were rushed to Metropolitan Hospital Center.

They are all expected to survive.

Investigators will look into where they obtained the synthetic pot

This latest incident comes on the heels of similar overdoses at the Westchester County Jail.

Authorities have charged a White Plains woman with passing suspected synthetic marijuana to her inmate husband, a substance they say sickened prisoners at the jail on several occasions this month.

Ebony Strange, 32, was charged with promoting prison contraband. Police say the charge could be upgraded pending the results of laboratory tests.

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