Symptoms of Laced Weed: How to Spot Dangerous Additives in Marijuana

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One of the major risks involved with not purchasing weed at a dispensary is that you have no guarantees it wasn’t laced. Although marijuana may not be laced as often as other substances, it can still happen when a dealer wants to bulk up their supply. There are also some people who lace weed to enhance its psychoactive effects. Either way, running into laced weed is dangerous. It can cause you to deal with several side effects, including nausea and difficulty breathing.

Common Substances Used to Lace Weed

There are more than 10 substances that are commonly used to lace weed:

• Glass
• Lead and other heavy metals
• Bacteria and fungus
• Heroin
• PCP
• Cocaine
• Embalming fluid
• LSD
• Laundry detergent
• Ketamine
• Methamphetamine
• Fentanyl

To understand the purpose of lacing weed with one of the above items, let’s take a closer look at the damage they can cause.

Glass

Glass-laced marijuana presents a significant health hazard. If you have any reason to think you might have received some, you can use a CD to verify this. Rub some of the weed on a CD. If the weed scratches the CD, it’s been laced.

Lead and Other Heavy Metals

Unfortunately, weed has been shown to absorb heavy metals out of the soil. Additionally, growers who try to make their weed more powerful may use pesticides, lead and other heavy metals.

Bacteria and fungus

Bacteria and fungus can contaminate weed, even if the grower has no intention of selling laced weed. Therefore, it’s critical that you only purchase weed from a known brand that you can trust.

Heroin

Heroin-laced marijuana often makes the user relaxed and extremely lethargic. It also has the potential to make you pass out. In some cases, it could even cause an overdose, which might lead to death.

PCP

PCP is a hallucinogenic drug that causes people to dissociate. If someone tells you they’re selling wet weed, super weed, fry or dusted weed, it’s laced with PCP. Steer clear of this substance as it can cause delusions, suicidal behavior and even a serious neurological condition.

Cocaine

Cocaine-laced weed is sometimes referred to as ’51.’ Smoking this laced marijuana unintentionally can produce strong and negative emotional reactions. Furthermore, it can cause hallucinations and cardiovascular issues.

Embalming Fluid

Adding embalming fluid to weed will make it more psychoactive, but this comes at a huge risk. It can cause cognitive issues including memory loss, and it might even lead to your death.

LSD

Taking weed with LSD is generally done consciously as it requires placing LSD on your lips when you smoke marijuana. However, if you somehow ingest LSD without realizing it, you could be in for a very bad trip that could last up to 12 hours.

Laundry Detergent

Some dealers will mix laundry detergent and marijuana to improve the weed’s appearance and smell. Sadly, this can make you sick and could lead to more serious complications.

Ketamine

Ketamine is often used as a party drug. When it’s mixed with weed, it can lead to dissociative and stimulant effects. Additionally, it often causes overheating and severe dehydration.

Methamphetamine

Lacing marijuana with methamphetamine, more commonly known as crystal meth, is known to cause delusions, hallucinations, confusion and seizures.

Fentanyl

Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, has increasingly been found in illicit drugs, including marijuana. Fentanyl-laced weed or fentanyl-laced marijuana poses a serious danger because users may unknowingly consume this powerful opioid, significantly increasing the risk of overdose. Since fentanyl is much stronger than other opioids, even a small amount can lead to a fatal fentanyl overdose, particularly when mixed with weed. To combat this, individuals can use fentanyl test strips to detect the presence of fentanyl in their marijuana. In the event of a suspected opioid overdose, the administration of naloxone can be lifesaving, reversing the effects of the overdose and providing critical time to seek medical help.

Symptoms of Laced Weed

Each of the following symptoms can accompany laced weed. If you’ve been sold marijuana that you didn’t know was laced, it can give you a really harsh high that you’d do anything to come down from.

• Hallucinations
• Delusions
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty breathing
• Feeling lightheaded
• Dizziness
• An unreal feeling
• Heart rate shoots up or down
• Blood pressure shoots up or down
• Insomnia
• Decreased appetite
• Nervousness
• Irritability
• Confusion/disorientation

Take these symptoms seriously because they are trying to warn you that what you’ve taken was bad for you.

Short-term and Long-term Health Risks

Smoking adulterated marijuana can lead to numerous short-term and long-term health risks. Chief among them are acute intoxication, life-threatening reactions and physical harm, which can all happen the first time you smoke laced weed. Over time, you could also face depression, paranoia and aggression. Even worse, you run the risk of becoming addicted to whatever substance was used to lace your weed.

As an example, let’s look at the long-term side effects of heroin use. Regular usage of this illicit substance may result in imbalanced hormonal and neuronal systems. Furthermore, your tolerance will increase rapidly, meaning you’ll need larger amounts of heroin to attain a state of highness. Once you decide to quit, you’ll go through withdrawal symptoms such as:

• Restlessness
• Insomnia
• Muscle and bone pain
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Involuntary leg movements
• Cold flashes with goose bumps

All of these typical symptoms of using heroin will impact you if you’ve been smoking weed that is laced with heroin. Sadly, some people will also end up hospitalized and even die from consuming laced marijuana.

What to Do if You Suspect You’ve Used Laced Weed

It’s critical to seek out medical care if you suspect you’ve smoked laced weed. Have a sober person take you to the hospital or, if there is no one sober around, call poison control or a marijuana hotline for assistance. If you’re dealing with severe side effects that indicate a possible overdose such as confusion, rapid heartbeat, paranoia, slowed breathing, drastic changes in body temperature or slurred speech, you should immediately call 911.

As you can see, it’s vital that you don’t smoke marijuana on your own, particularly if you’ve purchased it from a new dealer. Another thing you can do is pay close attention to your weed before you consume it. Any unusual stenches, discoloration or odd packaging may indicate that your weed has been laced. If it seems off to you, it’s much better to follow your gut and not use the potentially laced marijuana. After all, wouldn’t you rather waste a few dollars and live than take a chance and have it go disastrously?

Seeking Treatment for Substance Abuse

For most people, occasional marijuana use isn’t a big deal. However, if you’ve been using laced weed or if you smoke cannabis on a daily basis, it’s time to seek help. Without even knowing it, you could be walking a dark path that might cause anything from substance use disorder to severe health consequences.

Let’s use cocaine-laced weed as an example. When you smoke a 51, it can cause you to become addicted to cocaine. Symptoms of addiction may include:

• Lying about substance use
• Financial problems
• Bizarre, violent behaviors
• Psychosis or depression
• Withdrawing from sober friends and loved ones

These are all indicators that it’s time to get help before your addiction worsens, leading to central nervous system damage or other serious health consequences. Marijuana addiction recovery usually requires intensive outpatient services or staying at an inpatient recovery center such as Live Free Recovery Services. We offer detox and addiction treatment, which often includes therapy, treatment options, and a relapse prevention program.

Certain people are more prone to developing substance use problems, even with unadulterated marijuana. Contaminants in laced weed can worsen side effects like drowsiness, sedation, and clammy skin. Be sure to pay extra attention to how you’re feeling if you have a:

• Family history of substance abuse
• Personality disorders
• Previous drug abuse problems
• Mental health disorders

Additionally, as the legalization of marijuana expands, it’s important to remain aware of public health concerns and avoid situations where peer pressure from drug dealers could perpetuate the cycle of addiction. The good news is that by enrolling in one of our treatment programs, you’ll receive the support needed to overcome marijuana use and live a healthier life.

Are you tired of being addicted to laced weed or any other illicit substance? Contact Live Free Recovery Services now to begin your journey to sobriety!