Feds are warning of fentanyl-laced weed

Rarely a week goes by without police or other public officials warning of so-called fentanyl-laced weed. There is little truth behind these sensational claims, if you look closely at them.

Police in Brattleboro, Vermont last year arrested several people on charges of distribution of fentanyl-tainted cannabis, along with agents from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Homeland Security.

Labor tests showed that no fentanyl was present in any of the marijuana samples seized in the raid.

A similar, highly publicized scenario took place in Connecticut, where officials claimed that marijuana laced with fentanyl was responsible for over three dozen overdose incidents. Only one of these cases actually involved the ingestion of fentanyl, according to forensic analyses. The case, health officials said, is probably the result of accidental contamination.

Such sensational pronouncements, followed by less publicized refutations, are nothing new.

In 2019, Kellyanne Conway, the Trump administration's opioid crisis czar, publicly alleged that cannabis consumers were routinely purchasing fentanyl-laced products on the illicit market. A senior DEA chemist said that the agency had no record of ever having seized marijuana that tested positive for fentanyl.

Marijuana sold on the unregulated market can be of variable quality and purity. In some instances, unrecrupulous sellers may even taint cannabis with other controlled substances, though rarely is fentanyl among them. In other instances, they may sell samples that contain molds or other components that can pose serious dangers to health. They may peddle products laced with chemicals that seek to mimic the effects of cannabis, but that pose far greater health risks.

The solution to these public health concerns isn't to amplify sensational and often fictitious claims. It is intended to eliminate the risk of tainted products.

In a legally regulated system, cannabis products are available at retail stores from licensed manufacturers. In accordance with good manufacturing practices, cannabis is cultivated and products are manufactured. The products are lab tested and labeled accordingly to ensure that consumers have access to products of verified purity and potency.

19 states have enacted laws governing the adult-use cannabis market. These policies are largely as voters and as lawmakers intended to be. The illicit market is being disrupted, but not entirely eliminated, and more consumers are exposed to tainted products.

By taking cannabis products off street corners and placing them behind the counter, lawmakers can provide consumers with a safer experience and reduce their risk of being exposed to contaminated products.