cuomo issued a state health warning friday about the drug .
more than 160 patients admitted in nine days across the state .
the drug can have long-term effects on the brain , especially for the young people who are abusing it .
spice is bought over the counter , usually marketed as incense or potpourri .
it caused the death of a california teenager last year .
on april 6 , two mississippi brothers were placed in medically-induced comas .
they had smoked a ` bad batch ' of the synthetic cannabinoid .