Last Monday, scientists at the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory confirmed the first case of marijuana laced with fentanyl within the state, possibility within the entire United States. Later that same day, Vermont police issued a public warning about fentanyl-laced marijuana, which they believe led to an overdose that required CPR and several doses of Naloxone to revive the patient.
Connecticut legalized recreational marijuana in July of this year, while it has been legal for Vermonters over the age of 21 since July 2018.
According to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, since July, there have been 39 cases of overdose that required the use of naloxone for revival. In each case, the patient said they had only smoked marijuana—a fact the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory has now confirmed.
Geographically, a cluster of cases were reported in October in Plymouth, Conn., just west of the center of the state near Bristol. However, the police say the other incidents have been spread throughout the state in no particular pattern.
Michael Rickenbach, deputy director of the chemical analysis section at the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory told NBC Connecticut the lab is so concerned about the dangerous drug mixture that they are now testing every marijuana sample brought into the lab for fentanyl.
The Vermont patient who experienced an overdose told police they had also only smoked marijuana and had not taken any opioids. Field tests revealed the patient’s marijuana tested positive for fentanyl, although it hasn’t been confirmed by a laboratory yet. The overdose occurred in Brattleboro, Vermont, which is about 10 miles north of the Massachusetts border.
Brian Foley, assistant to the Connecticut Commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, told NBC Connecticut that narcotics dealers say adding fentanyl keeps them competitive with the growing legalized medical and commercial marijuana market.
"What we hope is that this will steer people away from that illegal market and bring them toward the legalized side of things," said Foley.
Provisional data released on Nov. 17 from the CDC indicates the opioid epidemic is only getting worse. Through a 12-month period ending in April 2021, there were an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths in the United States—an increase of 28.5% from the 78,056 deaths during the same period the year before.
Unsurprisingly, overdose deaths from synthetic opioids—primarily fentanyl—and psychostimulants such as methamphetamine also increased in the 12-month period, as did cocaine-related deaths.