One of the most common dangers that pot smokers will be warned about is accidentally purchasing Laced Weed. Though it happens far less than prohibitionists make it seem, laced weed does sometimes get sold on the streets either intentionally or unknowingly.
Knowing the signs of laced weed so that you can detect it from the start so that you can avoid being tricked, ripped off, or, in the worst-case scenario, poisoned.
What Is Laced Weed?
Laced weed is a general term that refers to any kind of weed that has been combined with other drugs or inorganic additives. Some dealers purposefully lace their weed with drugs, like ecstasy, cocaine, LCD, and others, to create unique effects that boast a powerful high.
In these cases, the dealer will usually be up front and honest about the fact that the bud is laced, so that they can sell it at a higher price.
Some examples of commonly laced weed varieties include “primo”, which is weed laced with cocaine, and “rainbow joints”, which are joints that are rolled with LCD-laced paper.
The biggest danger with laced weed, however, comes when it is sold sneakily with dangerous additives that serve to mask the fact that the bud is low quality.
In these cases, the weed may be laced with things like glass, fuel, detergent, and other toxic ingredients that can either improve its smell, appearance, or texture.
For example, one of the most dangerous lacing practices is to add tiny shards of crushed glass to gives the appearance that the weed has more trichomes, and is, therefore, more potent.
Other common lacing strategies including adding skunk spray, fuel, formaldehyde (embalming fluid), or detergent to the bud so that it either smells stronger/better and resembles the smell of certain high-quality weed strands.
One last common type of laced weed is when it is combined with other plant matter so that it can be sold in larger quantities. This type of weed, however, is inevitably “watered down” and includes less cannabis per batch. Thus, smoking this type of weed may be a waste of money as it probably won’t get you high at all.
Advocates of pure marijuana use argue that legalizing cannabis will prevent the malpractice of lacing weed that currently happens on the street market since weed sold by dispensaries is lab tested for purity.
As it currently stands, most street dealers are honest about whether the bud is laced with more powerful drugs like cocaine, LCD, ecstasy, heroine, etc. because it would not be in their interest to lace the pot with these more expensive drugs unless they could sell it at an upcharge.
However, the more dangerous type of weed lacing occurs when it is combined with toxic chemicals and substances to make the bud appear higher quality than it actually is.
Effects and Side Effects of Laced Weed
Because laced weed is a general term, the effects and side effects that you experience when you take it can vary drastically from one experience to the next depending on what has been added to the bud.
In general, however, you will be able to tell that the weed has been laced if you are experiencing any symptoms that are out of the ordinary from normal weed usage.
Some common symptoms associated with smoking or ingesting laced weed include:
- Increased heart rate
- Numbness
- Hallucinations
- Light-headedness and dizziness
- Delirium
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Lowered heart rate
- Insomnia
- Decreased appetite
- Anxiety and paranoia
Other more serious symptoms can occur if the weed is laced with dangerous substances like glass, fuel, detergent, and other toxins.
For example, glass shards can cut your intestines and cause serious digestive problems or internal bleeding which require immediate medical attention.
Ingesting fuel, formaldehyde, and detergent is also extremely dangerous and can even cause organ failure and death if it is in substantial quantities.
Some of the most serious symptoms of laced weed include:
- Seizures
- Coma
- Death
For this reason, it is important to only buy weed from a reputable dealer so that you avoid unknowingly purchasing bud that contains these poisons.
Weed Laced with Other Drugs
As previously mentioned, some dealers will purposefully lace weed with more powerful drugs to create unique joints that offer stronger highs. In this case, the marijuana may be branded with a specific name and the dealer will likely be up front with you about the added drugs.
Weed laced with cocaine is one of the most common forms sold on the streets and it is often called “primo”. This white powdery drug can be mixed into bud to act as a stimulant.
Some of the most common symptoms of weed laced with cocaine include:
- Numbness
- Increased energy
- insomnia
- Trouble concentrating
- Anxiety and paranoia
On the other hand, another white powdery drug, PCP (or “angel dust”) is one of the more powerful and potentially dangerous hallucinogens that can be mixed with weed and sold on the streets.
Weed laced with PCP will often make you feel detached from your surroundings, and in higher quantities, it can cause aggression.
Symptoms of weed laced with PCP include:
- Hallucinations
- Numbness of the extremities
- Loss of motor skills including coordination
- Slurred speech
- Violent and aggressive behavior
- A sense of invulnerability and superior strength
- Paranoia
- Disorientation
- Seizures
- Coma
- Death
Other drugs that can be combined with marijuana include acid/LCD, meth, and heroin amongst others.
In addition to the symptoms listed above, another side effect of taking weed that has been laced with more powerful drugs is that you could become addicted. Marijuana is not an addictive drug, but some of the things that it can be laced with like cocaine and heroin can be highly addictive.
How Can You Recognize Laced Weed?
Knowing how to recognize laced weed can prevent you from getting ripped off or tricked, and luckily there are some easy ways to test for it.
Testing for Detergent and Soap: Some dealers will lace weed with detergent or soap to mask some of the cannabis’s pungent smell.
If your bud lacks that distinctive marijuana smell, or if it smells flowery or soapy in any way, you can easily test whether it is laced by taking a small amount and adding it to a glass of water.
Normal marijuana shouldn’t have any effects but if buds start bubbling to the surface, this is a sign your weed has been laced.
Testing for Fuel: Fuel can be very dangerous if ingested, but some dealers lace their marijuana with it to give it a more pungent smell.
If you suspect that your weed has been laced with fuel, you can test this by taking a lighter and placing it above your bud. Normal marijuana shouldn’t have any effect, but fuel-laced bud will start to flare up as soon as it is close to fire.
Test for Perfume and Chemical Additives: When you light your bud on fire, if the flame starts turning a different color or if it starts to spark, you probably shouldn’t trust it as it may have been laced with added chemicals or perfumes.
Test for Color Additives: Some dealers will spray their cannabis with colors to give it, say to give it purple buds. One way to test whether your weed has been sprayed is to cut open a bud and check the color inside.
If it has been soak, then even the stems will have absorbed the color, however, if it has been sprayed you will be able to tell as the spray will only color the outside.
General Purity Testing: When you purchase regular weed, the trichomes on the plant matter will either be compressed or shaken loose. If on the other hand, you notice a dusty or powdery kick up, your weed has probably been laced.
One way to test this is to place your weed on a black surface and tap the bud to see if it releases dust. If so, it is better not to trust it.
To really be on the safe side you could always purchase a drug test kit and use it any time your weed looks, smells, or tastes suspicious. A jeweler’s loops can also allow you to closely exam your bud for any color or texture discrepancies.
Testing for Glass: Ingesting weed that is laced with glass can cause serious digestive problems and it could even cut your intestines if the shards are sharp enough. Fortunately, however, there is an easy trick to test your bud for glass.
One of the most noticeable signs that your weed may be laced with glass is if it appears to be sparking or shining more than normal. Organic marijuana should be soft to the touch, so if you think it may be laced, you can take a CD or mirror and brush it against the top of your bud.
Cannabis plant matter should be soft and therefore shouldn’t have any effect, but if your CD/mirror gets scratched that is a sign it is laced with tiny glass shards.
Why People Do It
There are a couple different reasons why some dealers choose to lace weed. On one hand, it can be used as a marketing ploy as the weed can be sold at a higher rate due to the additional effects and greater high.
A whole market of laced weed varieties has established itself for this reason. Some dealers even specialized in specific types of addictive laced weed products in order to establish a clientele that is hooked by the buds addictive additives.
Less reputable dealers, on the other hand, sometimes lace their weed to mask the fact that it is low-grade. These dealers will sometimes use whatever they can find to make the weed look, smell, and taste better or to “water it down” so that they can sell larger quantities.
Knowing how to identify laced weed, however, can prevent you from getting scammed or tricked into buying low-quality weed that is laced with toxic substances.
Photos from: ByLove / depositphotos.com, pressmaster / depositphotos.com and Couperfield / depositphotos.com.
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