Can Marijuana Be Laced With Other Drugs?

Marijuana may seem like a harmless drug; it is, after all, used medically, and, in some states, approved for recreational use. So what’s the big deal? The question should not be whether or not marijuana is bad or good; the question should lie in the arena of careful inquisition. In other words, knowing from whom the substance came, the strain, the strength, etcetera. Because the answer to whether or not marijuana is laced with something else has all to do with a variety of factors.

What is a Laced Drug?

A laced drug is a combined substance of two or more drugs rolled (no pun intended) into one. Lacing a drug is not taking two different drugs at the same time (for example, marijuana and benzos). It is adding a chemical compound or a specific element to a substance so that two substances act as one.

Adding certain elements, chemicals, or drugs to another substance is very common in the drug market. Sometimes this is done to bulk up the original product. By doing this, it ensures more supply for the seller to make more money. This has been known to happen with marijuana, cocaine, or any other drug that is sold by weight.

Another reason drugs might be laced with other substances is to intensify or alter the effects of the drug. For example, heroin has been known to be laced with fentanyl more recently to get people hooked quicker. The quicker someone is hooked, the greater the seller’s chances of getting a returning customer. This has been known to have a deadly effect on those who consume said drugs.

How Often is Marijuana Laced With Other Drugs?

It is not known for certain how often marijuana is intentionally laced with other substances, but there has been a multitude of cases reported on the news. Sometimes reports have suggested that some marijuana has been laced with fentanyl. It’s for this reason that the federal and state governments are putting specific regulations in place.

These regulations correlate with the quality of the legally marked substances (in some states medical; others recreational). If they do this, the percentage of marijuana available for legal use being laced will be virtually nonexistent. If anyone from then on consumes marijuana that has been laced, it will more than likely have come from an illicit source.

What Drugs Can Marijuana Be Laced With?

Sometimes marijuana can be laced with another substance to produce a stronger effect or even a psychoactive effect. Other times it can be laced with other substances to help the marijuana weigh more. According to professional studies, there are many substances that marijuana can be laced with. Some of these other drugs may include the following:

• Lead
• Glass
• Bacteria
• PCP
• Heroin
• Fentanyl
• Ketamine
• Meth
• Cocaine
• LSD
• Embalming Fluid

Can Marijuana Be Laced With Lead?

It is possible to lace marijuana with lead. Some reports have indicated a vast increase in marijuana consumption since 1970. Not only that, but to make marijuana more potent, some individuals try drawing out more THC. This results in the likelihood of the marijuana adding harmful compounds like Butane (a highly flammable, colorless gas).

In addition to all of this, there have been recent studies showing that some soil and substrate that the marijuana is being grown in draws in heavy metals. Trying to draw out more THC could result in more potent weed, but could also result in higher amounts of metal.

Can Marijuana be Laced With Glass?

There have been reports in the past of marijuana being laced with glass. Contrary to what some may believe, it’s easy to spot. For example, if someone were to rub the marijuana on a disk of some sort, they’d find that the disk ends up scratched. Marijuana is dangerous when not handled responsibly, and even more so when it is laced with something as dangerous as glass. This is typically done to beef up the weight so the handler can sell less weed for more money.

Can Marijuana be Laced With Fungus?

One might assume that in a state where marijuana is legal, things might be much safer. While this may be the case most often, states like Colorado have reported some circumstances in which weed has contained fungus. This fungus has the potential to pose a danger to the consumer.

What About PCP?

PCP, also known as ‘Angel Dust’, ‘Supergrass’, or ‘Rocket Fuel’, is an incredibly strong hallucinogen. It is an addictive drug that has been known to alter the mind and senses greatly. Too much of it could put someone in a coma, convulsions, or even cause death. This substance of abuse is taken by people for a variety of reasons, the main culprits being its hallucinogenic nature as well as its pain-killing effects.

This particular drug is extremely dangerous and addictive and unfortunately has been known to be added to marijuana to either get someone hooked or produce a stronger, more trippy high. This has happened in a vast variety of cases, mostly in situations where an individual wasn’t aware of the alterations. In most cases, however, the seller does not withhold the fact that the marijuana they’re selling has been laced with PCP.

Can Marijuana be Laced With Heroin?

Sometimes marijuana has been known to be laced with heroin. In these cases, individuals become extremely relaxed (even more so than they would have been with marijuana alone). Not only that, but those who consume a larger amount of this substance may experience reduced breathing rates or reduced heart rates. In some cases, individuals have become unconscious.

What’s the Deal With Marijuana and Embalming Fluid?

Some wild reports have suggested that marijuana has been laced with embalming fluid. Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring organic compound and is a colorless gas; this gas is used in embalming fluid to preserve dead people and animals and is extremely dangerous to ingest. This may make marijuana seem more potent than it is.

Can Marijuana be Laced With Cocaine?

Marijuana is laced with cocaine quite often. People do this so that they can create psychoactive effects, stimulate the user, and relax them all at the same time. The difference between this and the aforementioned substances is that marijuana is laced with cocaine mostly for personal use.

Can Marijuana be Laced With LSD?

In short, yes, marijuana can be laced with LSD. LSD, another powerful hallucinogen, produces extreme effects even in the smallest doses. It is worth mentioning, however, that lacing marijuana with LSD has the potential of not producing the desired effects. It would make more sense in edible form as any sort of heat destroys LSD.

Can Marijuana be Laced With Meth?

In some cases, marijuana has been laced with methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is a very strong stimulant that produces extreme effects such as the following:

• Hallucinations
• Delusions
• Seizures
• Confusion

Can Marijuana be Laced With Ketamine?

Marijuana can be laced with ketamine. Ketamine is a drug that is used primarily for anesthesia. Its effects are trance-like, providing pain relief and sedation, but can also produce undesirable effects such as dehydration. This can pose a danger to those who aren’t aware of the ketamine content within the weed. This is because they may consume more marijuana to achieve the desired outcome; if this is the case, they’ve bitten off much more than they can chew.

What Are the Effects of Laced Marijuana?

Some effects of laced marijuana may include the following:

• Not experiencing a psychoactive effect
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty breathing
• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Increase or decrease in heart rate or blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Decreased appetite
• Nervousness
• Irritability
• Hallucinations
• Delusions
• Confusion
• Disorientation

Preventative Measures

For those who are using marijuana medicinally, the thought of it being laced with another substance can be unnerving. That’s not to say, however, that proper precautions can be taken to ensure safety. After all, if there is a way to diminish the chances of receiving medical marijuana that’s been laced with something else, it’s worth it. Some of these precautions include the following:

• Stay away from ground marijuana.
• Always inspect the marijuana. If someone you’re buying from won’t let you inspect it, stay away from that individual.
• Be sure that the marijuana doesn’t smell strange (for example, embalming fluid may give off an unusually potent odor).
• Stay away from weed that looks glossy or odd. If it appears to have weird substances in it, it probably does.
• Purchase medical marijuana exclusively from legitimate sources.
• No matter how much money you spend, your life is not for sale. Don’t be scared to throw away marijuana that looks, smells, or tastes suspicious.
• When all else fails, you can have the weed tested. This is a sure bet to know whether or not the substance has been tampered with.

Always Be Safe When Using Medically

When it comes to substances, there is never 100% certainty that something hasn’t been tampered with (unless the source is legit). If you are receiving medical marijuana, be sure that you’ve taken the proper precautions to ensure your safety or the safety of others.

Find Help For Marijuana Addiction

If you find yourself becoming addicted to any sort of substance, Little Creek Recovery is here for you. If you or a loved one would like to find help, or if you believe your medical drug may have been laced, you can contact us here.