Author: Charles Frank
Fentanyl Laced Weed : An Overview
Here at ReVIDA® Recovery, we believe in treating our patients on the individual level. No two opioid use disorder stories are the same, and we pride ourselves in learning about you as a person first. We use medication-assisted treatment (MAT), therapy and counseling, as well as outpatient services to reclaim the lives of our patients and help them find success and lasting recovery.
For those who purposely consume the substances together, fentanyl in weed might strengthen weed’s potency. It’s dangerous because it can lead to addiction or even overdose. There are several signs of fentanyl addiction, such as an irregular heartbeat, cravings, and impaired memory.
This means for most it causes relaxing effects, but for some, it could also cause a boost in energy and alter your perception of reality, as well. If you want to be certain about whether or not there is fentanyl in your weed, fentanyl testing strips can be used to detect fentanyl within a substance. You’ll likely be able to smell and taste the detergent as soon as it’s smoked. Cannabis strains available in legal markets are often distinguished by their unique color.
Naloxone is an FDA-approved medication available over-the-counter that can help stop the effects of an opioid overdose. It works by blocking the opioid receptors in your brain and can save a life in the long run. Depressants, sometimes also referred to as downers, tend to slow down the body.
Seeking Treatment for Fentanyl and Marijuana Addiction
First responders carry this at all times, and it is available at certain convenience stores. Make sure to be honest with the medical professionals about all substances used and if Narcan® (naloxone HCl) has been administered. This will give them all the information they need to treat accordingly.
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. 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.
Illegal fentanyl is usually produced as a synthetic powder, and sold as a powder, a regular looking pill or in eye droppers and nasal sprays. It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, and therefore more deadly. Even two milligrams of fentanyl, equivalent to a grain of sand, obtained without a prescription can cause an overdose and death. Fentanyl is currently a leading cause of overdose deaths in the US.
Laced is a term used to describe adding one substance to another. When selling substances, dealers can add other substances in order to stretch their inventory and increase profits, which puts people at risk. Lacing, mixing, and cutting are all similar terms for this process. Mixing or cutting can mean any substance is being added to the drug, whether to add more volume or increase effects. Typically, with lacing, the substance being added is another drug to increase the effects.
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MAT, or medication for addiction treatment, is also a good tool to have when facing recovery from opioids. MAT involves FDA-approved medications that help manage opioid withdrawals while also blocking opioid receptors to help stop the sensations that occur when opioids are taken. Those who complete an MAT program are shown to be 3.5 times less likely to overdose again, compared to those who don’t complete an MAT program. While LSD-laced weed isn’t necessarily addictive, the combination can produce powerful side effects upon smoking, including a long-lasting altered awareness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that you won’t be able to see, smell, or taste fentanyl. 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.
Users also have a greater chance of overdosing especially if they don’t use heroin regularly. However, it’s important to understand that fentanyl is not the only hard drug that can be laced with marijuana. Numerous stimulants, opioids, and hallucinogens can be added to weed, especially when it’s obtained illegally. Let’s take a look at a few common laced marijuana variations and their harmful effects. What makes fentanyl most dangerous is not merely its potency, but the fact that it is often disguised as less potent opioids or laced in them clandestinely.
There are so many stigmas that come with both fentanyl use and substance use disorder treatment that are untrue and harmful. One of the reasons many avoid treatment is fentanyl withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can be uncomfortable and life-threatening, which keeps the person using it.
- To do this, fentanyl attaches itself to the part of the brain that controls pain and emotion.
- But it’s important to look closely at these claims and figure out if they’re true.
- The Good Samaritan Law here in Indiana prevents you from getting into legal trouble for seeking medical assistance in the case of an overdose.
If you regularly buy weed from street dealers, you may wonder how often this can happen. You’ve been short on your finances this week and decided to contact a dealer you heard of who has low prices for marijuana. Your friend told you he had the strongest substances for the lowest prices in town.
Treatment and Helpful Resources for Marijuana and Fentanyl Addiction
They have also warned about fentanyl laced with Xylazine which is used to sedate animals. By smoking weed laced with fentanyl, the chance of an overdose increases. If you are using fentanyl regularly, you may be showing signs of fentanyl addiction. Polysubstance use – using more than one substance at the same time – can cause physical and mental health problems. Managing a polysubstance use disorder does not have to be permanent, and help is available in the Appalachia area.
One of the most common drugs used for lacing in our society today is fentanyl. It has been mixed with many drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. When you mix together two similar substances, it can mean you feel the effects of them that much faster, and also increases your risk of an overdose.
How Do You Know If Your Weed Is Laced With Fentanyl or Other Drugs?
Even if the marijuana is contaminated or mixed with fentanyl, the fentanyl would be destroyed before it’s absorbed. Side effects of smoking fentanyl-laced weed include psychosis, mood changes, slow or impaired movements, and itching. While we mentioned above that fentanyl-laced weed has not been found in Tennessee yet, that does not mean it cannot happen. However, if you are using weed and fentanyl at the same time, the effects of each can clash with one another. Fentanyl is a depressant while marijuana can have depressant, stimulant, or hallucinogenic effects. If you are feeling relaxed from using fentanyl, weed will increase those feelings.
When fentanyl is combined with other substances, such as weed, it gets stronger, which increases the potential for overdose. There’s even growing evidence that fentanyl-laced marijuana is in circulation as well. The problem with fentanyl-laced marijuana is that for people who have never been exposed, the lethal dose of fentanyl can be tiny. Consumers usually don’t know when their weed is laced with fentanyl, causing catastrophic effects. Additionally, there is a higher risk of addiction to marijuana when it is laced with fentanyl since the effects are potentially stronger and more pleasurable. Being unaware of fentanyl within a substance you’re consuming drastically increases your odds of experiencing an overdose.