Laced Weed: What is It and How To Tell If Weed Is Laced

Sometimes, you might want to buy cannabis in the streets instead of in a dispensary. It’s an easy, fast way to get your hands on an ounce or two. Unfortunately, there may be cases when you get a batch of laced weed. This happens when someone mixes marijuana with something they shouldn’t.

There are several reasons why someone may add something else to marijuana. In many cases, it’s to add other qualities. A person trying to sell cannabis may want to make it smell stronger or weigh heavier.

If you’re a marijuana enthusiast, it’s a good idea to know how to tell if weed is laced. Everything you need to know is on this page. If you get some off the streets, from a friend, or at a party, you’ll find handy information here.

Avoid the risk altogether and buy the best, most natural cannabis seeds from Homegrown Cannabis Co. Ready to become knowledgeable in your friend group? Let’s jump right in.

What is laced weed?

Laced weed is an unfortunate occurrence when marijuana slips past regulation. Reputable dispensaries usually conduct strict regulation procedures to ensure they give you the purest quality weed. 

When you buy seeds or marijuana on the streets, you can’t confidently know what you’re buying. Sometimes, you may find fentanyl in weed—an anesthetic and painkiller opioid. It’s a very dangerous drug, even in small doses.

Lacing is mostly done with other drugs, not with marijuana, but it still happens. You may find cannabis laced with small shards of glass, lead, fungi, or even laundry detergent. 

Laced weed may be dangerous or even lethal in some cases. It could be mixed with any substance or additive and can fall into the hands of anyone, which is why you should be careful.

Why do people lace weed?

Before more states started to legalize marijuana, we had to rely on other sources for our beloved plant. Unfortunately, some dealers like to lace weed for various reasons—mainly financial. 

Some may add things to marijuana to increase its weight. If you’re buying 8 oz. of weed, they may try to compensate for 6 oz. by lacing it. This means they can sell less for the same price. Laced weed may be heavier because it contains something like glass.

Others do it to give you the impression the weed is more potent. They may combine low-quality weed with other psychoactive substances to increase the effects. Fentanyl-laced weed produces analgesic effects, making it seem like the strain you bought is stronger.

They may do it for aesthetic reasons too. They put tiny glass shards in to resemble cannabis trichome crystals, they might add laundry detergent or perfumes to make it smell better. Some even lace weed with food coloring to make it look more appealing.

Unfortunately, some people have malicious intentions. Cocaine-laced weed or heroin-laced weed has a high chance of being addictive. If someone buys it from a dealer, they may go back to that dealer because they’re unknowingly addicted.

As you can see, there are several reasons someone might add other things to marijuana. Some recreational users even do it themselves to increase the effects. If you take medication, get to know which medication weed can interact with.

It’s important to learn how to know if weed is laced. If you have to buy marijuana on the streets, there are certain things you can do to tell the difference.

How to tell if weed is laced?

If you enjoy occasionally smoking a blunt at home or with friends, you probably know how to spot quality marijuana. You might even consider yourself an expert at identifying different strains. The important question is, do you know how to tell if weed is laced?

Differentiating between pure and impure cannabis isn’t always easy. Some people add things to it that you can’t easily notice with your senses. Getting into the habit of inspecting your weed can be potentially life-saving, so let’s go over some things to look out for.

What does laced weed look like?

Laced weed takes several different shapes and forms. Sometimes you can sense something suspicious right away. Other times, you need to look closer and ask yourself, ‘what does laced weed look like?’

Some obvious signs are visual, like strange colors or weed that looks ‘too good to be true.’ If you look closely at the buds and notice uneven colors, it may be laced marijuana with food coloring. You can confirm this if the inside color of the bud is different from the outside.

If you place a nug of your weed in a glass of water, you shouldn’t see any appearance of suds. This is how to tell if weed is laced with laundry detergent. Detergent produces suds, so if you see them, get rid of the weed, as smoking it can make you sick.

Marijuana buds usually pride themselves on their beautiful display of crystal trichomes. If you take a piece and roll it between your fingers, only a trace will fall off. It’ll stick nicely to your fingers. Signs of laced weed will show if it isn’t sticky and a lot of dust falls from the nugs.

You usually dry and cure cannabis before smoking it, so wet weed isn’t generally a good sign. Marijuana with diesel, scented products, solvents, or chemicals look wetter. Laced weed with these additives catches alight or changes color when you hold it to a flame.

12 signs of laced weed

There are specific signs to look out for if you’re wondering how to tell if your weed is laced. Find out below if someone has laced your cannabis with fentanyl, cocaine, crack, or heroin.

Fentanyl-laced weed

Fentanyl in weed doesn’t have any flavor or scent, but the effects are quite intense. Fentanyl is almost like morphine but much stronger. Doctors use it in small doses as an anesthetic. 

Powdery weed

Fentanyl often comes in powder or pill form. You can identify fentanyl-laced weed if the nugs have traces of powder. An easy way to check this is to shake the bag and see if any powder appears at the bottom. 

Another way is to break off a small piece and roll it between your fingers. If excess dust falls off, it’s likely laced.

Wet weed

Some people might make fentanyl weed using the liquid form of the drug. If your weed is suspiciously wet (it shouldn’t be wet in the first place), someone may have laced it.

Physical symptoms

If you happen to smoke or consume weed laced with fentanyl, you’ll experience telltale symptoms, such as:

• Drowsiness/sedation.
• Nausea.
• Slowed or difficult breathing.
• Extreme happiness (weed makes you happy, but if it’s laced, the overt happiness and euphoria will feel like someone has drugged you).
• Confusion and disorientation.
• Unconsciousness.

If you or someone you know suspect you’ve encountered fentanyl-laced marijuana, seek medical help immediately. Even in small doses, the effects can be lethal.

Cocaine-laced weed

Sometimes known as Primo, marijuana laced with cocaine is a dangerous combination. Some recreational users do it to feel the combined sedative and stimulant effects of cannabis and cocaine. If you think you’ve bought cocaine-laced weed, you’ll notice these signs:

Chemical smell and bitter taste

Cocaine usually has a faint chemical smell because people use solvents to extract it from the coca plant. It also tastes bitter, leaving a metallic sensation in your mouth. It’ll numb your taste buds, so pay attention to what you feel in your mouth compared to pure cannabis. 

Powder

You’ll know you’ve got cocaine-laced weed if you notice abnormally powdery buds. Sometimes it’s not visible, though, so roll it between your fingers to test your cannabis nug. Real trichomes stick to your fingers and don’t come off the bud easily—cocaine will.

Intense physical symptoms

Cocaine is an addictive stimulant, so you’ll feel adverse symptoms uncommon to marijuana if you smoke cocaine-laced weed. Your breathing becomes shallow, your heart rate increases and a strange numbness spreads throughout your body.

Due to its stimulant properties, you’ll also feel increased energy levels and intense focus. Although some cannabis strains increase energy, it’s usually pleasant. You probably won’t be able to rest or sleep well if you’ve consumed cocaine-laced weed.

Other symptoms include paranoia, agitation, and pain in your heart and lungs.

Blunt laced with crack

Crack is cocaine in crystallized form. While cocaine comes as a powder, crack is in rock form, and smoking usually brings on the effects much faster. It’s generally cheaper but can be far more intense. Watch out for the following:

Crystallized nugs

A blunt laced with crack has small shards of rock in it. They may not be immediately visible, but if you know what cannabis looks like, you’ll recognize something different. You’ll see tiny crystals which are harder and looser than cannabis trichomes.

Crackling smoke

People named crack for the crackling sound it makes when you smoke it. If you light up a blunt laced with crack, you’ll hear it crackling strangely. If you do, put it out immediately, as crack comes with dangerous risks.

Side effects

Similar to cocaine, crack produces stimulant effects on the mind and body. Smoking a laced blunt with crack can increase your heart rate and blood pressure, which could lead to a heart attack. You’ll feel unusually energetic, focused, numb, paranoid, and restless.

Weed laced with heroin

Heroin is infamous for being one of the most dangerous and addictive drugs. Heroin-laced weed produces uncomfortable feelings of lethargy and disorientation. You can tell if your marijuana has heroin in it from these signs:

Brown and yellow powder

Heroin is a brown and yellow powder that some people add to cannabis to give the user increased effects. If you notice these colors on your nugs, it may be heroin-laced weed. Use the method of rolling a piece between your fingers to see if excess dust falls off.

Vinegar and rubbery scent

Synthesizing heroin produces a vinegary smell. Some heroin smells like rubber, skunk, or even almonds. If you notice any of these scents or your cannabis smells strange, you may have heroin-laced weed. 

Uncomfortable symptoms

Heroin produces powerful effects, mainly making you feel extremely relaxed and lethargic. These feelings are far more intense than when you smoke a relaxing cannabis strain. You’ll feel your breathing and heart rate slow, and you might pass out.

Smoking heroin-laced weed could lead to insomnia, heaviness in the arms and legs, itchiness, paranoia, and intense confusion. Seek medical help immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.

Grow your own to avoid laced blunts & laced edibles

Sometimes you get home from work and want to unwind with a good blunt and your favorite TV show. You might not have any weed around, and your local dispensary is closed. In this case, you may feel tempted to get an ounce from the dealer next door.

Laced weed isn’t particularly common, but it can fall into the hands of anyone. We know it may be quicker and easier to buy marijuana off the streets, but it’s better to wait. Save yourself from future instances of a weed-bare home and start growing your own.

Homegrown cannabis has gained traction in recent years thanks to more states legalizing it. You won’t ever have to worry about knowing how to tell if weed is laced if you grow a private crop. Buy seeds from a reputable dispensary and, in a few weeks, you can reap a bountiful harvest.

At Homegrown Cannabis Co., we stock a huge selection of high-quality cannabis seeds. We have strains for every preference, including regular, feminized, and autoflowering cultivars. Buying a pack of seeds from us guarantees you avoid getting laced marijuana.

Once you receive your seeds, it’s time to start this exciting journey. Cannabis cultivation is a highly rewarding experience that never ceases to educate and please you. Most strains thrive indoors or outdoors, or even in a greenhouse if you have one.

Worried about fentanyl in weed? Buy some nutrient-rich, organic soil and pour it into a medium-sized pot. Clean your hands and make holes in the soil with your fingers, at least an inch apart for each seed. Place the seeds in the holes, cover them, and water them regularly.

Alternatively, use a Sea of Green set-up to bunch several plants together. This maximizes available space and increases light exposure and airflow, boosting yields and plant health.

Growing outdoors to avoid laced weed provides your crop with a sunny, natural environment. Plant your seeds in a discreet area with enough sunlight and airflow, and watch your crop bloom. Ensure you don’t live in an area prone to hazardous weather conditions.

There are several different methods of growing marijuana at home. It provides you with fresh, pure, and untainted cannabis. If you enjoy eating marijuana treats, avoid laced edibles by making your own weed brownies or desserts after harvest.

Weed feels good—laced weed doesn’t

Cannabis is a wonderful plant for many occasions. We all love experiencing the different positive sensations of smoking a joint with high-quality weed. It feels good and assures us that it will be a worthwhile experience every time.

Nobody wants to come across laced weed, but it can happen. Luckily, the chances of getting tainted marijuana are low, but you can’t be too careful. If you receive buds from anyone—be it a street dealer, friend, or family member, it’s vital to know how to tell if weed is laced.

Remember these key tips we’ve mentioned on this page:

• If your weed smells suspiciously funky, don’t smoke it.
• Roll a piece of a nug between your fingers—if it doesn’t stick to your fingers and excess dust falls off, don’t smoke it.
• Drop a nug in a glass of water. If you see suspicious suds, don’t smoke the weed. If it’s fine, don’t forget to dry the nug you tested before smoking it.
• Look for suspicious colors, shards of glass, or excess wetness. 
• Trust your gut. If you feel suspicious or uncomfortable, throw the weed away.

Laced weed doesn’t feel good when you smoke it, and it could be potentially fatal. If you suspect you’ve consumed tainted marijuana, go immediately to the doctor or hospital.

Buy marijuana seeds from Homegrown Cannabis Co. to ensure high-quality, untainted cannabis with stable genetics. We provide fast, discreet shipping and 24/7 customer care. When you receive your order, you won’t even have to ask, ‘what does laced weed look like?’

Sow your cannabis seeds and enjoy pure, feel-good buds in just a few weeks. Growing your own means you’ll never have to worry about laced weed again. Share your experience with growers worldwide by starting your Homegrown Diary!