Weed Laced with Fentanyl or Other Drugs
Marijuana by itself is generally not considered as a factor in factor drug overdoses. However, laced weed containing fentanyl and other drugs can be very dangerous. Knowing when weed is laced with other drugs is challenging, but there are a few things to look out for, such as its color, smell, taste, and texture.
You don’t have to go through it alone when you or a loved one are facing addiction. At Zinnia Health, we offer a range of treatment programs at rehab centers throughout the US. Call us 24/7 at (855) 430-9439.
How Do You Know If Your Weed Is Laced With Fentanyl or Other Drugs?
There may be telltale signs that your weed is laced with drugs, fillers, and other substances. Some are more obvious than others. It all depends on the characteristics of the added substances. You can often tell you have laced weed by closely examining it.
For instance, you can check the color of it, how it smells, the way it feels, and other clues that your weed may be laced. Avoid using suspicious drugs at all costs — even the smallest traces of fentanyl or other substances could be dangerous and even fatal.
Drugs Commonly Mixed With Weed
When you buy marijuana on the streets, you risk getting more than you bargained for. Dealers often add various drugs, additives, fillers, and other substances.
The reason for this varies from increasing the appearance or potency of the drug to making cheaper or larger quantities to sell. Following are some of the most common drugs found mixed with marijuana.
Cocaine
Cocaine laced with weed is often called Primo on the streets. This mixture is placed in a pipe, bong, or rolled joint to smoke marijuana. When cocaine and weed are mixed, you get both sedative and stimulant effects simultaneously.
This is very dangerous because it can increase your heart rate to the point of having a:
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Cardiac arrest
Fentanyl
Fentanyl is an opioid drug commonly used by medical professionals as a painkiller and anesthetic. On the streets, fentanyl is cheap compared to other illegal drugs. However, it’s 50-100 times stronger than morphine and other opioids.
This makes fentanyl-laced weed a deadly combination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that you won’t be able to see, smell, or taste fentanyl. It can only be detected by using fentanyl test strips.
Heroin
Heroin smells like rubber or vinegar and is considered one of the most dangerous drugs on the streets. When mixed with marijuana, it produces a greater sense of relaxation and euphoria, but it can also slow your heart rate, slow your breathing, and cause unbearable confusion.
Ketamine
Ketamine is an FDA-approved prescription drug for use in humans and animals as a sedative and anesthetic. It has become more common as a street drug. where it’s often known as a “club drug” and “date-rape drug.”
Ketamine added to pot cigarettes can cause harmful levels of dehydration, overheating, and confusion.
LSD
LSD (or acid) is a hallucinogenic synthetic drug that may be found in laced joints, known on the streets as “rainbow joints.” Lacing involves dealers dabbing the end of weed cigarettes in LSD.
While LSD-laced weed isn’t necessarily addictive, the combination can produce powerful side effects upon smoking, including a long-lasting altered awareness.
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine (meth) is another stimulant found on the streets as an additive to weed. This drug treats obesity and ADHD but is commonly used as a recreational drug. Meth-laced marijuana can lead to serious issues, including seizures.
Phencyclidine (PCP)
Phencyclidine (PCP) is known as “angel dust” on the streets. This hallucinogenic drug is frequently added to weed to enhance its mind-altering side effects. PCP-laced weed is often called “dusted weed,” “fry,” “super weed,” and “wet weed.” The impact of this combination can lead to”
- Delusions
- Aggressive behavior
- Seizures
- Neurological damage
Are you addicted to weed and unable to stop it? Have you been exposed to marijuana mixed with other drugs, putting you at risk of overdose? The substance use disorder (SUD) team of professionals at Zinnia Health can help. Chat with us online or by phone at (855) 430-9439.
Other Substances Mixed With Marijuana
Drugs aren’t the only substances that make their way into marijuana on the streets. Many other substances can be just as harmful when mixed with weed.
Crushed Glass
Female marijuana plants grow structures on their surface called trichomes, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH). These mushroom-like structures produce cannabis resins and oils containing THC (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) and CBDA (cannabidiolic acid).
Dealers often add crushed glass to weed because it weighs more and makes it look like it has trichomes found in high-quality marijuana. You can test for glass by rubbing the weed on a CD to see if it scratches the surface. Also, if you rub the buds between your fingers, trichomes will stick to them; otherwise, you’ll get nothing but dust if it’s laced.
Embalming Fluid
Embalming fluid contains formaldehyde, which morticians and laboratory scientists use to preserve dead bodies and specimens. It’s often added to weed to cause a hallucinogenic effect and is sold as “fry” on the streets.
If you smoke embalming fluid-laced weed, you may experience:
- Severe hallucinations
- Extreme paranoia
- Increased heart rate
- Chest pain
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
Food Coloring
Cannabis strains available in legal markets are often distinguished by their unique color. Lacing by dealers can be done by adding food dyes to weed to make it look better and as if it were high quality. You’ll typically find marijuana dyed purple or green.
You can test this by cutting open the buds to see if there’s any dye that only appears on the surface rather than being uniform throughout. Fortunately, food coloring isn’t dangerous when added to the pot, but the color doesn’t indicate quality.
Fuel and Perfume
Weed has a strong, distinctive smell, so many sellers try to enhance or mask the scent with perfumes. Some store weed with lemon to make it smell like the terpene limonene. Others may add diesel fuel and similar substances to imitate strains like Sour Diesel, known for having hard-hitting effects.
Inhaling diesel fuel smoke can have lasting effects and even cause cancer. You can test your pot by placing a moist piece over a lighter. If it’s laced, it will burst into flames, change the color of the flame, or produce sparks.
Laundry Detergent
Laundry detergent is a common substance to add to weed. It serves a few purposes, such as making the weed feel heavier, look sparkly, and smell different. Detergent-laced weed can cause various symptoms, including a sore throat, nausea, and even difficulty breathing.
You’ll likely be able to smell and taste the detergent as soon as it’s smoked. You can also place some weed in water and look for suds to form.
Avoid the Risk of Laced Weed by Getting Help Today
Marijuana is commonly laced with many substances, from illegal drugs to everyday household items. Of all the substances, fentanyl is likely the most dangerous.
For this reason, it’s crucial to identify the symptoms of fentanyl overdose and get medical attention immediately — more than 150 people die daily from fentanyl-related overdose deaths. If you have a marijuana addiction, take the first step and get on the road to recovery.
Get help for you or a loved one with a drug problem like smoking marijuana. Whether it’s weed, alcohol, or some other substance, Zinnia Health has customized treatment programs suited to your needs. Call us today at (855) 430-9439 — our helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.