Synthetic marijuana, Viagra seized by police in Harlem

More than 2,000 bags of synthetic marijuana were seized after a sweep through 125th Street near Lexington Avenue last Thursday, the NYPD said.

The police department and other city agencies visited five shops that previously had been served with a health department warning to stop selling synthetic marijuana, which was banned in 2012.Synthetic marijuana products were seized at two of the shops, the NYPD said, as well as eight bottles of Viagra and one of Cialis.

“These dangerous products do not belong on store shelves within our neighborhoods and are a threat to public health,” said Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said.

Most recent numbers from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene show that area hospitals saw two to three ER visits a day from synthetic marijuana, and that there were 120 visits between April 8 to 15. Primary users of the drug are young males from East Harlem, according to the health department.

Across the state, synthetic drugs were responsible for 1,900 ER visits from April 1 to June 30, and more than 680 poison control calls, according to the governor’s office.