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New York marijuana regulators are working to debunk what they say is the “false” narrative that cannabis is commonly contaminated with fentanyl—a “misconception” that remains “widespread” despite a lack of evidence.
The state Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) recently put out a factsheet on the issue, acknowledging that while fentanyl has been found in drugs like MDMA and heroin, anecdotal claims about marijuana laced with the potent opioid are so far unfounded.
OCM published the two-page document—titled “Cannabis and Fentanyl: Facts and Unknowns”—to “address misconceptions about cannabis being mixed with fentanyl,” it said. “The goal of this fact sheet is to provide evidence where it is available, to share information about what is currently known and unknown, and to provide safety tips to help alleviate some of these misconceptions, often spread through misinformed media coverage and anecdotal reporting.”
“Misinformation related to the danger of accidental overdose due to cannabis ‘contaminated’ with fentanyl remains widespread,” the office said. “Anecdotal reports of fentanyl ‘contaminated’ cannabis continue to be found to be false, as of the date of this publication” last week.
This isn’t to minimize the dangers of fentanyl, which is present in the illicit drug supply and contributing to record-high rates of overdose deaths, the regulators said. Certain opioids have been identified in synthetics like K-2 (or “spice”)—in addition to cocaine, heroin, MDMA and pressed pills—but regulators say it’s important to provide the public with evidence-based information about cannabis as the state’s legal market is implemented.
That’s another point OCM is hoping to drive home: buying marijuana from licensed shops significantly reduces the chances of contamination overall, so the safest option for consumers is to transition away from illicit sellers to the regulated marketplace. That said, access remains an obstacle, as the state’s legalization rollout has proved unexpectedly slow.
“Cannabis products made available in the unregulated market may contain unknown or undisclosed contaminants and have inaccurate labeling,” the factsheet says. It also points out that the reliability of current testing protocols for fentanyl on cannabis flower remains “unknown.”
“Fentanyl test strips were designed for testing substances that are water soluble, with current testing methodologies focused on detecting the presence of fentanyl in powders or pills,” OCM said. “As fentanyl is not found in the cannabis supply, it is not recommended to use fentanyl test strips to test cannabis.”
Regulators also took the opportunity to recognize that many people who use opioids are “stigmatized in health care settings,” which can be detrimental because it “contributes to mistrust that can result in inaccurate self-reporting or failure to disclose opioid use due to fear of inequitable care or punitive interventions by law enforcement.”
“Promoting opioid overdose prevention and other harm reduction strategies improves public health through evidence-based interventions and stigma reduction,” the document says.
