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What Are the Dangers of Laced Marijuana?

Although US laws and regulations are relaxing around marijuana, it is still an addictive substance, and there are additional risks associated with laced weed. Understanding the dangers of laced weed and how to identify it can help keep you and those around you safe.

What Is Laced Weed?

“Lacing” refers to adding substances to a drug to increase its volume or effects. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine how prevalent “lacing” is among illegal marijuana distributors because reliable data is scarce.

When marijuana is laced with other drugs or products, it can put unsuspecting users’ lives in danger.

What Is Weed Laced With?

Weed can be laced with any number of things. Some of the most common substances used to lace weed include:

Even if you purchase illegal weed, you risk ingesting unknowing substances. Some marijuana that’s even sold legally in states like Colorado contains high counts of bacteria and fungus when tested, which may lead to severe health effects.

What Does Laced Weed Look Like?

Laced weed is difficult to spot, which is partially what makes it so dangerous. However, some characteristics can make laced weed stick out more:

  • Unusual smell – Marijuana has a distinctive, potent aroma. However, laced weed might have a strange chemical smell or no smell at all.
  • Discoloration – Laced weed usually has streaks that are unnatural to the strain of marijuana it is supposed to be, and the bud’s color may look unusually bright or dull.
  • Odd packaging – If the packaging seems “off,” this could indicate that you have laced marijuana. Also, look for flakes that are not marijuana leaves that may have separated from the rest of the bud.
  • Strange texture – Cannabis has a distinctive spongy and sticky texture. If tampered with, it may feel wet, unusually dry, or powdery.

If you are concerned about your marijuana, you can use a testing kit. Testing kits are effective at detecting substances like fentanyl or meth. However, they are not fail-proof and may not pick up on traces of other materials, such as glass or laundry detergent.

What Does Laced Weed Feel Like?

Because weed can be laced with a range of non-active and active substances, the effects are unpredictable and dangerous. In general, marijuana laced with stimulants will create stimulating effects. In contrast, depressants cause intense feelings of sedation. Some of the most common signs of consuming laced weed are:

  • Unusual behavior
  • Sedation or euphoria
  • Hallucination or distorted perception

Laced weed can also cause nausea, difficulty breathing, changes in heart rate and blood pressure, and nervousness. However, if you use marijuana and do not experience any psychoactive effects whatsoever, this may also indicate that there is a significant amount of non-cannabis plant material present.

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What Are the Dangers of Laced Weed?

Because laced weed usually consists of a variety of harder drug compounds, your overdose risk increases substantially, especially if it contains drugs like fentanyl. Because of its potency, even a small amount of fentanyl can lead to an overdose.

Fentanyl isn’t the only danger. Even weed containing nonintoxicating compounds can damage your body. Some substance-specific dangers include:

  • Synthetic cannabinoids – May cause paranoia, hallucination, or extreme lethargy.
  • Cocaine – Marijuana laced with cocaine may lead to varied dangerous side effects, including unintentional addiction to cocaine.
  • LSD – When you drop LSD after smoking weed, it creates potent hallucinogenic effects that may eventually turn into paranoia and suicidal thoughts.
  • PCP – PCP-laced weed is extremely dangerous and can lead to hallucinations, delusions, aggression, suicidal and risky behaviors.
  • Methamphetamine – When marijuana contains methamphetamine, it can cause seizures, hallucinations, and delusions.
  • Heroin – Marijuana laced with heroin can cause shallow heart and breathing rates, which can be fatal.
  • Ketamine – Marijuana laced with ketamine can create extreme dissociative and sedative effects. Additional dangers include overheating and dehydration.
  • Embalming fluid – Smoking weed laced with embalming fluid may cause memory loss, neurological damage, and even death.
  • Laundry detergent – May cause nausea, sore throat, and difficulty breathing.
  • Glass – Smoking or ingesting glass-laced weed or edibles can cause significant respiratory distress.
  • Fentanyl – Fentanyl is much more potent than heroin. Mixing both of these depressant drugs can intensify the effects and increase your risk of life-threatening complications or overdose.

The interaction between weed and other substances can lead to fatal outcomes. Laced weed often contains harmful additives that are unknown until it’s too late.

How to Avoid Laced Marijuana

The only way to completely avoid laced weed is not to use it. If you feel like you can’t cut down or stop weed use, it could be a sign of a cannabis use disorder (addiction). A cannabis use disorder is continued use despite significant negative consequences like the risk of laced weed.

Myths About Weed

While regulations are relaxing more about marijuana use, there is still a real risk of addiction. Many myths about marijuana use are misleading at best and dangerous at worst. Here are some of the most common myths about cannabis:

  • “You can’t become addicted to cannabis.” – Approximately 9 percent of people who smoke marijuana will become addicted.
  • “Everyone smokes weed.” – Although 50% of people say they have tried marijuana at some point, only 17 percent smoke regularly.
  • “It’s okay to smoke weed while driving.” – There is a correlation between high THC blood concentration levels and the risk of car crashes. It is never safe to smoke weed and drive.
  • “Marijuana is safe to use while pregnant.” – Marijuana is not recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Research suggests that weed use during pregnancy can lead to a variety of problems, including low birth weight.
  • “You can’t overdose on marijuana.” – Although there is currently no scientific evidence that supports the risk of overdosing from smoking unadulterated cannabis, there is a risk for overdose if it contains another substance, especially fentanyl.

What Is Marijuana Addiction Treatment?

Treatment options for cannabis use disorder are similar to programs for other substances and may be residential or outpatient-based. During treatment, you will participate in evidence-based therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in combination with holistic treatments to help you get to the root of your marijuana use. This treatment offers hope for a newly sober life and the tools you need to succeed in the long run.

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Questions about treatment options?

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Evan Gove

Evan Gove

Evan Gove is a writing and editing professional with ten years of experience. He graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a degree in Writing & Rhetoric. When not writing, you can find him enjoying his sunny hometown of Delray Beach, Florida.
Evan Gove

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Published by Evan Gove

Evan Gove is a writing and editing professional with ten years of experience. He graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a degree in Writing & Rhetoric. When not writing, you can find him enjoying his sunny hometown of Delray Beach, Florida.


Medically Reviewed by Kelsey Jones, MS, LPC