Florida men among 90 charged in drug busts

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., July 27 (UPI) -- Three Palm Beach County men are among 90 persons arrested nationwide as federal drug officials crack down on the sale and manufacture of synthetic drugs.

Dylan Harrison, 31, of West Palm Beach, John Shealy, 39, of Royal Palm Beach, and Michael Bryant, 29, of Delray Beach, were arrested when authorities raided two warehouses in the suburbs of West Palm Beach on Wednesday. They manufactured and distributed the drugs, marketed as "Mr. Nice Guy," from the warehouses, according to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents, the Palm Beach Post reports.

Synthetic drugs include synthetic marijuana and so-called "bath salts." The Office of National Drug Control Policy says synthetic marijuana can cause racing heartbeat, tremors, seizures, hallucinations and vomiting. Bath salts have effects similar to LSD and cocaine such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, paranoia and violent behavior.

They pose a growing danger similar to the abuse of prescription drugs. In 2011, the nation's poison centers reported more than 13,000 calls related to synthetic drugs and bath salts. The year before, only 3,200 such calls were recorded.