As marijuana use rises, and weed consumption isn’t yet legal everywhere, people often turn to buying it illegally. As you might already know, street drugs, antidepressants, and other products purchased on the black market can be dangerous for consumption, and there are higher chances of getting a low-quality product, and even a product laced with other substances.
So if you do smoke weed, but want to learn more about what substances cannabis can be laced with, this article is for you. We’ll go over all the cutting agents or adulterants which can give you unwanted side effects while smoking so you can recognize them if you ever buy laced weed.
The 411 on Laced Weed
Laced weed is cannabis that has been combined with other additives and drugs to increase its weight, or make the drug more addictive to users. In countries where weed is legal, lacing cannabis is uncommon, however, it does happen in places where cannabis is prohibited. Consuming laced weed can give users a number of unwanted side effects, which is why knowing whether your weed has been contaminated is essential.
Lacing Cannabis With Other Drugs or Additives
Lacing weed is done for a number of reasons. Drug dealers either want to mask poor quality by using substances that make the weed seem like it has a higher cannabinoid content (often higher THC levels), or lace it with certain addictive substances to get users addicted to weed (which leads to drug abuse and substance abuse after a while).
Weed that isn’t bought in licensed dispensaries can often be laced with pesticides, insecticides, other drugs and opioids, laundry detergent, glass, and other additives. So, let’s find out which additives, substances, and illegal drugs can be used to lace weed.
What Can Weed Be Laced With?
Common lacing additives include other illegal drugs, contaminants like heavy metals and embalming fluids, and other additives. Drug dealers can also place weed next to fruits as a way to increase the terpene flavor and mask poor quality.
For that reason, buying from a reputable source and checking your weed before you head home is always the best option. To check if you have purchased laced weed, look through our previous guide. And to learn more about lacing additives, read on.
Cocaine
Cocaine laced weed, also called a “Primo joint,” gives users the stimulant effect of cocaine combined with the sedative effect of cannabis. However, this combination may result in some users experiencing increased heart rate and blood pressure, insomnia, paranoia, and even a heart attack in some cases.
LSD
LSD, or Acid, is a hallucinogen drug which affects both the feelings and sensations of users. Weed laced with LSD has hallucinogenic effects and is made by dabbing a marijuna cigarette into LSD and making a “Rainbow joint.” Combining psychedelics and weed can have unpredictable effects which mostly depend on the tolerance levels of users. The effects can last up to 12 hours from only a small dose, while larger doses may have longer-lasting effects.
PCP
PCP, also called Phencyclidine, or “Angel dust,” is the next hallucinogenic drug with mind-altering effects that’s used to lace weed. The combination has more intense psychoactive and mind-altering effects than if users were to consume each drug on their own. Some users can expect to experience disorientation, hallucinations, seizures, and even neurological issues. The combination of weed with PCP is called wet weed, dusted weed, or super weed.
Heroin
Out of all the drugs in the world, heroin is the most addictive and most dangerous, and combining it with any other drug can be even more dangerous. This combination of drugs may hook users after their first try, which is why it’s so scary. Mixing weed with heroin can result in slowed breathing and heart rate, but it can be even more addictive than each drug consumed on its own. The dangers of mixing these drugs are explained in this 2019 study which concludes that people who are both heroin and cannabis smokers are more likely to relapse back to heroin compared with people who only use heroin.
Ketamine
Ketamine is an anesthetic which is mostly used in medicine because of its sedative effects. That is also the reason why this anesthetic is also used recreationally. Combining cannabis with ketamine can give you a number of side effects including dehydration, confusion, and your body overheating. Since this combination gives users sedative effects, it’s mostly used in nightclubs.
Methamphetamine
This medical drug is used to treat conditions such as Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity. Consuming methamphetamine-laced weed can result in you experiencing seizures, delusions, and hallucinations.
Fentanyl
Fentanyl is an opioid that’s used both as an anesthetic and as a painkiller. The effects of this cheap opioid are 50 times stronger when compared to heroin, therefore consuming weed laced with fentanyl can have serious side effects on users.
Embalming Fluid
Embalming fluid is used in the preservation of dead bodies and is a mix of solvents and formaldehyde. It can be added to synthetic weed in an attempt to increase the weight of the final product. Consuming weed laced with embalming fluid can result in increased heart rate, chest pain, headaches, nausea, and hallucinations.
Crushed Glass
Another way to increase the weight of weed is by mixing it with crushed glass. This way drug dealers manage to not only make it seem like the cannabis has more trichomes, but also get more money for their product. Needless to say, smoking weed with crushed glass can be dangerous.
Laundry Detergent
In an effort to make their final product smell better, drug dealers can sometimes add laundry detergent to it. When smoking weed laced with laundry detergent, you can experience a sore throat, nausea, as well as difficulty in breathing.
Food Coloring, Fuel, and Other Smell Adulterants
Out of all the lacing agents, lacing weed with food coloring is the least dangerous of all. Dealers use this trick as a way to improve the color of their product and make it look more appealing. Apart from food coloring, drug dealers may use fuel or other adulterants to make it seem like their product has more terpenes than it actually has.
Final Words
While some combinations on this list aren’t extremely serious, others can prove fatal especially if consumed in large doses. For this reason, it’s important to buy from legal dispensaries and cannabis shops if weed is legal where you live. People who use marijuana medicinally need to pay extra attention when purchasing cannabis and even more so if they’re buying from a new person.
Laced weed is more common when buying on the black market, so be mindful of the signs of laced weed when you purchase it. Take a good look at the product before buying it since getting a high-quality product will give you the least side effects. If you suspect that you or a loved one has consumed cannabis laced with another drug or adulterant, visit a healthcare provider to check your health and get adequate treatment.
