‘It’s deadly’: Mother speaks on son’s overdose as synthetic marijuana hits Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A new designer drug is hitting Nebraska, and not being able to recognize it can be a matter of life or death.

The synthetic cannabinoid is meant to look like Marijuana but is far from natural.

“It’s deadly, they took my son away from me forever, there’s no going back,” said Regina Sullivan, who lost her son Marvin Lee Sullivan due to an overdose while on a synthetic drug.

She is warning of the dangers that designer drugs bring.

“I think he had approximately 20 seizures at that point; it was just beyond what we were expecting from him, and one day he just died,” said Sullivan.

After a recent overdose death in Omaha from the synthetic drug called Spice or K2, the Omaha Police Department released a warning to the public to be on the lookout.

The Lincoln Police Department is issuing the same warning, although there have been no reported cases in Lincoln at this time.

K2 is often marketed as herbal incense and is found in brightly colored packaging, making it appear harmless, but it is far from it.

“Narcan won’t help you with this,” said Sullivan, about the popular tool used to help reverse overdoses.

“If you overdose, you’re probably going to make yourself sick and harm yourself in a way that you can’t come back from,” she said.

With THC as a main ingredient, K2 is meant to mimic the effects of marijuana but can result in seizures, vomiting, and hallucinogenic effects.

It is highly addictive, and in many cases, there are long-term effects even after a user quits.

Although Narcan could not save her son, Sullivan is spreading awareness the best she can through her non-profit, Marvilee.

Marvilee partners with groups such as Stop Overdose Nebraska to host Narcan training and mentor youth, among other efforts.

“I don’t want any other mothers to go through what I went through, or any other father, because this is a terrible exclusive club to belong to,” said Sullivan.

She says her message to those dealing with this is “learn about addiction, learn about overdose, learn about stigma.”

LPD says they are keeping a close eye on trends surrounding this drug.