That means regulations for their production still need to be hammered out, LaFrate says. There’s little risk of encountering laced cannabis at a legal dispensary, but it’s a different matter on the streets (though it’s still quite rare). When dealers lace cannabis, they turn it from a safe substance into something with unpredictable side effects — difficulty breathing, seizures, a raised heart rate, can an alcoholic ever drink again and even heart attacks among them. If you suspect you may have ingested laced cannabis and are experiencing adverse side effects, seek medical attention immediately. Common symptoms of a fentanyl overdose include slow breathing, severe confusion, and unconsciousness. If you or someone you know experiences these symptoms after ingesting cannabis, call 911 or your local emergency number right away.
Laced Weed: Symptoms, Dangers, and What to Do
In these dispensaries, products must undergo rigorous testing for contaminants, potency, and purity to ensure consumers are getting the highest quality products. While lacing cannabis with other drugs or additives is possible, it is not a common occurrence. It’s important to note that laced cannabis is an overblown issue often fueled by sensationalist media coverage and misinformation.
How To Tell If Cannabis Is Laced
Consumption of laced substances can often lead to severe effects or even death. Laced weed can be dangerous for many reasons, most of which depend on what the weed was laced with. Some of the potential dangers of laced marijuana include nausea, vomiting, increased heart rate, trouble breathing, fainting, dizziness, and even fatality. This means it can also be produced illegally in underground labs for sale on the illicit market. It is sometimes mixed with other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine, to increase their potency and profitability.
What is Laced Cannabis and How to Avoid It
Some people worry that dealers will lace marijuana with an addictive drug, such as cocaine, to get a person hooked on a more expensive drug. Genuine weed typically has a grassy or leafy aroma, but laced weed often has a pungent, unnatural scent reminiscent of nail polish, gas, or paint. To accurately test weed for fentanyl and other substances, use a fentanyl test strip or at-home test kit. Imagine this potent central nervous system stimulant as a party guest who overstays their welcome, transforming your calm gathering into a frenzied affair.
Lacing is a very common practice for some drugs, particularly drugs like cocaine that are often laced with other substances to bulk up the amount of the original product and gain more profits. Other drugs that are sold by weight may also laced be with other substances in order to add weight or bulk them up to enhance their profitability. Many times, this practice ends up producing a potentially deadly combination of drugs. If you are experiencing anything outside of additional paranoia or anxiety then you may have smoked laced weed. For any abnormal symptoms like chest pain, passing out, slurred speech, agitation, aggression, or hallucinations you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. The increase in cannabis laced with drugs or sprayed additives for profit is concerning.
- Police in Connecticut found marijuana laced with deadly fentanyl during a raid on an unlicensed weed shop Friday.
- Although LSD isn’t addictive, it can cause temporary paranoia and psychosis at high doses.
- This powerful stimulant can act like an unsolicited turbo booster to your leisurely cruise, amplifying the intensity of your high to dangerous heights.
- When foreign drugs are added to marijuana, it can create an equally conflicting response in the form of nausea.
Identifying laced weed can be challenging as different strains of marijuana have different colors, smells, and tastes. However, certain symptoms may indicate that marijuana has been laced. Simple tests, such as rubbing marijuana against a CD to check for scratches (indicating the presence of glass), may also provide some clues. However, it is important to note that many impurities and contaminants are undetectable through DIY tests. Chemical testing labs have discovered contaminants in legal marijuana that were not visible to the naked eye, emphasizing the difficulty of identifying laced weed. Other contaminants, such as glass, laundry detergent or fungi, may cause uncontrollable coughing, vomiting or pain.
The majority of people who smoke weed know the effect of cannabis on the lungs. Acute pain in the lungs may mean the cannabis has been laced with another drug. Ideally, you won't be smoking laced weed, so you'll never have to encounter the adverse effects. Unfortunately, identifying laced weed with your eyes or nose can be really tough. However, synthetic cannabinoids usually give off a distinct, plastic-like smell when they burn.
It exposes users to a higher risk of addiction and an array of severe health complications including skin issues and dental problems, leaving lasting marks on your health and well-being. This powerful stimulant can act like an unsolicited turbo booster to your leisurely cruise, amplifying the intensity of your high to dangerous heights. As marijuana use becomes more widespread, the occurrence of “laced weed,” or marijuana mixed with other substances, is becoming a growing concern. The addictive power of illegal drugs shouldn’t be underestimated either.
The common principle all have in common is the negative effects they have on one’s body. Aside from the discomfort laced weed presents, there are immediate health repercussions that can cause long-term or permanent damage. However, there are revealing indicators that can help you distinguish between what is laced and what is not. Knowing the appearance of laced weed and other defining 5 key differences between crack and cocaine characteristics will help you avoid possible health and life-threatening consequences. Best practices for ensuring cannabis is unadulterated start with buying from a trusted source and buying whole buds, as ground cannabis may be laced with synthetic products like Spice. Checking its appearance for powder, or smelling it for chemical or exaggerated smells are good techniques as well.
There are numerous synthetic cannabinoids available, and their legal status is, depending on your juristiction, unclear. However, what is common among them is that they are generally much more potent than natural THC and can quickly lead to addiction and psychosis. Laced weed contains harmful additional pollutants that are often unknown to the user until it’s too late. The interaction between weed mingled with other drugs can also lead to fatal outcomes.
By shopping at licensed dispensaries, consumers can be assured that they are getting safe, high-quality cannabis products free from contaminants and other harmful substances. While the risk of fentanyl-laced cannabis may be low, it’s always better alcohol and accutane to err on the side of caution and make sure you are buying from a reputable source. Although marijuana is probably less likely to be intentionally laced with other psychoactive substances than many other illicit drugs, this situation does occur.
Trying to figure out whether or not your weed is sprayed or laced can be difficult, and it's often tough to know for sure—at least without a laboratory at your disposal. These won't tell you exactly what's wrong with your weed, but they will let you know that something's probably been added. In the U.S., legal hurdles have long hampered research into marijuana.