[magkelly]

MIAMI (AP) -- A Florida medical examiner says only marijuana was found in the system of a Florida man shot while chewing another man's face.

The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner's released the toxicology results Tuesday on 31-year-old Rudy Eugene. Lab results found marijuana in his system, but not any other street drugs, alcohol or prescription drugs.

The department has ruled out the most common components found in the street drugs known as bath salts. An outside forensic toxicology lab also confirmed the results.

Surveillance video captured 65-year-old Ronald Poppo being attacked by Eugene on May 26. A police officer shot and killed Eugene, who bit into Poppo's face in broad daylight alongside a busy highway. Police have not released a motive for the attack on Poppo, who had been homeless for decades.

Poppo has undergone several surgeries and remains hospitalized.

I know that some strains of marijuana are supposedly a lot stronger than they were back in the 60's but this one kind of makes me wonder what kind of pot they are growing out there in those illegal pot farms these days. I expected PCP or something from what he did, but nope, just pot? Kinda strange that result, I think. I mean I've known a lot of people who smoked pot and I've never yet seen someone get violent on the stuff. Quite the opposite actually. I just can't see this as being the only reason. There must have been some other stuff in there that's just not showing up in a tox screen...

[luftfluss]

[patrick9]

Have you ordered the K 30 ?

[er1kksen]

Another article included a brief interview with a toxicologist who noted that they can only test for drugs they know; the ever-evolving bevy of "designer drugs" available includes quite a few that simply will not show up in their tests, because they're not testing for them. Who knows.

Even so, it's entirely possible for someone to snap without the assistance of psychoactives.

[magkelly]

Have you ordered the K 30 ?

No, I'm saving up for the K-30. I can't just pull that kind of $$$$ out of a hat, lol. How soon I get one will depend upon three things. Whether or not there are any major bugs when it's released, whether or not there are any good sales around the holidays, and how well my little gear garage sale and my business goes. If I get a decent amount of photography work before the end of the year and/or my sale goes okay, it's mine soon as I've read a few good reviews from people here who actually have one in hand. I do hope to have the $$$ in the Hello Kitty by the end of the year though. The K-30 would make a very nice little Christmas present to myself... ;P

[magkelly]

This case is just so bizarre. People are making Hannibal Lector jokes about it and all but you have to wonder just what happened to set the guy off.

[Na Horuk]

Keep in mind, a lot of people do crazy stuff even when completely SOBER. I think this guy had other psychological problems that just didn't show up until this explosion. Hey, it happens all the time, only usually they don't chew another man's face, usually its just murder or suicide or arson.

[GibbyTheMole]

You smoke the hippie hay, you get the munchies. :-P

[Jasvox]

I am no doctor, but I am pretty sure this guy was nuts way before he got 'hold of any smoke.

Jason

[boriscleto]

The Truth Behind the Bath Salts "Epidemic" | Drugs | AlterNet

After the explosion in use comes the demonization. Then the press, despite a total lack of causal evidence, parrots the outlandish accusations.

[eddie1960]

Pot is way stronger than it used to be. I stopped smoking in the early eighties because it just wasn't my thing anymore, every once in a while i will have some at a party and invariably it completely destroys me compared to the old stuff. Can't imagine it would have impacted this event (beyond of course the extreme munchies)

this was a homeless guy who was likely on the street due to other issues including Psychiatric ones. Up here we have a lot of people on the street who are fine when they take their drugs, but they don't take them (for many reason) and deteriorate until the end up back in for observation. the laws make it very difficult to have anyone put away for longer periods - they basically need to sign themselves in. My mother was schizophrenic and it was a bugger to get her admitted. Fortunately she only had mild delusions, and you could persuaade her to check in. We have Health care coverage in canada though so it may make it easier to get the treatment

[magkelly]

Pot is way stronger than it used to be. I stopped smoking in the early eighties because it just wasn't my thing anymore, every once in a while i will have some at a party and invariably it completely destroys me compared to the old stuff. Can't imagine it would have impacted this event (beyond of course the extreme munchies)

this was a homeless guy who was likely on the street due to other issues including Psychiatric ones. Up here we have a lot of people on the street who are fine when they take their drugs, but they don't take them (for many reason) and deteriorate until the end up back in for observation. the laws make it very difficult to have anyone put away for longer periods - they basically need to sign themselves in. My mother was schizophrenic and it was a bugger to get her admitted. Fortunately she only had mild delusions, and you could persuaade her to check in. We have Health care coverage in canada though so it may make it easier to get the treatment

No, the guy he bit was homeless. The guy who went crazy was not. He lived with his brother as I recall. His family is pretty shocked actually that he went off the rails like that, but the homeless guy is the one in the hospital now.

[eddie1960]

No, the guy he bit was homeless. The guy who went crazy was not. He lived with his brother as I recall. His family is pretty shocked actually that he went off the rails like that, but the homeless guy is the one in the hospital now.

Most definitely he had a psychotic break caused by something. It is strange. OTOH as mentioned they only test for the drug formulations they know, he could have taken a new formulation they don't have in the database
Either that or George Romero's world is coming true

[normhead]

Not everyone who does something bizarre, does it because of drugs, the assertion is completely unfounded. The problem with pot isn't that it winds you up, it's that it makes you lethargic and stupid, at least from a non-pot smokers perspective. I've ben straight at many parties with the high, you either smoke a bit yourself or prepare for an evening of boredom broken by the odd spell of people having an intense discussion of something completely mundane, of laughing uproariously at something that is barely amusing.

I guess it wouldn't occur to the gun lovers out there, and I'm not blaming the officer at all, but we'd know a lot more if the guy hadn't been shot... just saying. <ducking for cover>.

[eddie1960]

Not everyone who does something bizarre, does it because of drugs, the assertion is completely unfounded. The problem with pot isn't that it winds you up, it's that it makes you lethargic and stupid, at least from a non-pot smokers perspective. I've ben straight at many parties with the high, you either smoke a bit yourself or prepare for an evening of boredom broken by the odd spell of people having an intense discussion of something completely mundane, of laughing uproariously at something that is barely amusing.

I guess it wouldn't occur to the gun lovers out there, and I'm not blaming the officer at all, but we'd know a lot more if the guy hadn't been shot... just saying. <ducking for cover>.

If it had happened here odds are still high he would have been shot (heck they shot that asian guy on a street car year back remember) , norm, but in the uk he would have likely have just been subdued (Hell uk cops are used to subduing violent idiots just hang about after a football game between fierce rivals)