Legacy Healing Center Warns of Fentanyl Laced Marijuana Discovered in Northeast Cities

Cherry Hill, NJ - Legacy Healing Center, an addiction treatment center with locations in New Jersey and South Florida, is warning the public about marijuana laced with the deadly opioid fentanyl. Health officials in Vermont and Connecticut recently connected a surge in overdoses in the Northeast with marijuana that was found to be laced with fentanyl.

Fentanyl is the leading cause of overdose deaths across the US and is being added to other drugs at alarming rates. Fentanyl first captured the public’s attention as an additive to heroin causing a crisis of overdoses amongst heroin users. Now fentanyl is being found in many drugs including cocaine, methamphetamine, and counterfeit prescription pills sold on the black market.

The findings in Vermont and Connecticut appear to be the first confirmed cases of fentanyl-laced marijuana in the country. This is cause for further concern as it makes drug overdose from marijuana, a drug not normally considered life-threatening, a possibility.

In just one month in Connecticut, there have been at least 40 confirmed cases of drug overdose from marijuana laced with fentanyl, exposing a potentially widespread and dangerous trend in communities in the Northeast. Little is known about the extent of the contaminated marijuana and the public is warned to be extremely careful because using marijuana can now lead to a drug overdose.

With the added impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, many people have turned to alcohol and drug use to help them cope. David Levin, Chief Clinical Officer at Legacy Healing Center said, “The disease of addiction metastasizes in isolation. While in quarantine, we’re especially vulnerable and susceptible to [addiction], depression, anxiety, and relapse because of the isolation, because of the quarantine, because of the fear.”

Legacy Healing Center reminds those struggling with substance abuse and addiction that help is always available. The behavioral health centers specialize in treating not only substance use disorders by also the mental health conditions that are often the underlying drivers of addiction.

Prevention of overdose death from drugs laced with fentanyl can be found through effective addiction treatment programs that treat substance use disorders at the root. Legacy Healing Center’s holistic approach to addiction treatment provides a comprehensive approach that includes medical detox, treatment for mental health conditions, nutrition and fitness programs, and a lifetime of ongoing support for long-term success and relapse prevention.

Anyone suffering from addiction or concerned about a loved one can speak with a treatment specialist at any time by calling (888) 534-2295. Visit www.legacyhealing.com to learn more.