K2 turns Brooklyn neighborhood into 'zombie zone'

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - The NYPD calls one part of the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn the ground zero of the K2 epidemic. Residents there call it the "zombie zone" because of what the drug does to people who consume it.

Cops responded to the intersection of Broadway and Myrtle Avenue on Saturday where dozens of people were reported to be in a zombie-like state after bad reactions to K2. That intersection is the epicenter of the K2 street sales.

K2 is a name for a synthetic compound that mimics the effect of THC, the most psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. The drug can be many times as potent as the THC in marijuana.

But the city Health Department warns that K2, which is an incense-like mixture, contains no actual marijuana and only dangerous chemicals that can cause permanent damage.

"K2 is a dangerous, deadly drug, but this strain is especially threatening," NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan said. "Residents are urged to call 911 immediately if they or someone they know are showing symptoms of overdoses."

A police crackdown resulted in 12 arrests in connection with K2—eight for distribution and four for possession. Narcotics detectives and the Intelligence Division are investigating and working to build a major case against the suppliers, the NYPD said.