Youth dies months after smoking medical marijuana

A Westmoreland County youth died Thursday morning at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC months after being hospitalized for smoking artificial marijuana, the Allegheny County medical examiner's office said.

Brandon Rice, 14, of East Huntingdon, was pronounced dead at around 8:20 this morning.

Mike Chichwak of the medical examiner's office said Brandon was admitted to Frick Hospital on June 12 after he told his parents he smoked K2, a type of artificial marijuana. He was later transferred to Children's Hospital.

A cause of death has not been determined. An autopsy and toxicology tests are being performed by Children's Hospital.

If it's established the boy died from the drug, it will be the first death in Westmoreland County caused by smoking artificial marijuana, said John Ackerman, a deputy coroner in Westmoreland County.

Gov. Tom Corbett signed a bill June 24 banning the sale of artificial marijuana. It went into effect in August.