Marijuana has been classified as a gateway drug, and has lost its importance in modern day culture as treatment. In recent time Florida has passed laws to allow people who qualify with certain aliments to receive a medical marijuana card. However, just because a drug is legal doesn’t mean it is necessarily safe. Here are the top 5 over the counter drugs that are more dangerous than marijuana consumption.

1. Tobacco

The most popularized legal drug that can kill is tobacco. This substance is the leading, and most preventable cause of death in the U.S. More Americans die from tobacco-caused conditions. It is estimated that 437,400 tobacco deaths occurred in 2015 alone.

2. Aspirin

The most common household medication can also be the most dangerous. Each year, approximately 15,000 people die and another 100,000 visit the emergency room due to aspirin and other NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs).

3. Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol. It is also the most commonly used pain reliever in the U.S. This drug can cause liver failure, and does not require an overdose to do so. Each year, it is responsible for more than 56,000 emergency room visits, 2,600 hospitalizations, and an estimated 458 deaths due to acute liver failure.

4. Cough syrup

Over-the-counter cough syrups, gels, and tablets contain dextromethorphan, or DXM, a cough suppressant that can cause seizures, brain damage, and death. DXM has replaced codeine as the most widely used cough suppressant in the U.S. Deaths due to DXM are relatively rare as most abusers ingest DXM products containing other ingredients which cause vomiting, which expels the DXM from their bodies before further toxins can be ingested.

5. K2, Spice, etc. (Synthetics)

K2 and Spice are drugs, which are widely used because they contain synthetic analogs of cannabinoids. Synthetic analogs are far more dangerous than natural cannabis. Intense hallucinations, psychosis, seizures, and rapid heartbeat are some of the effects one can expect when ingesting the artificial substance. Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show synthetic drugs killed 15 people in the first half of 2015, three times as many as the same period in 2014.

For more information on how to obtain your medical marijuana card or the qualification please click here.