Powerful opioid disguised as cannabis-like substance found in Tecumseh

Dalson Chen, Windsor Star - thegrowthop.com Posted 5 years ago
image

A substance that looks like normal cannabis but contains the highly toxic opioid carfentanil has been found in the Tecumseh area, warns the Windsor-Essex health unit.

According to an alert on the website of the Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy, the dangerous substance was confirmed on Thursday.

WECOSS states that the product “has the appearance of cannabis,” but testing determined that the product has no cannabis.

Instead, the product contains carfentanil — a short-acting, quick-onset synthetic opioid said to be 100 times more powerful than fentanyl.

News of the discovery has gone province-wide, prompting warnings by health agencies across Ontario. The Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy stated: “Please note this is not cannabis laced with an opioid. It is carfentanil that has been disguised to resemble cannabis.”

If consuming CANNABIS, make sure to know your source. Plz review attached ALERT from WECOSS. Although the Windsor Police Service has NOT encountered any cannabis-like substances containing carfentanil, other jurisdictions have. Your life may depend on it. #MakeTheRightDecision pic.twitter.com/FpOcE9SjSf

— Windsor Police (@WindsorPolice) May 24, 2019

Windsor Police Service said they have not encountered this product in the Windsor area. But WPS emphasized the need to know your source when consuming cannabis.

WECOSS added that a similar product has been seized in the Ohio area — a mixture of heroin and fentanyl disguised as cannabis.

Carfentanil is a particularly dangerous opioid due to its potency. Intended for use in the tranquilization of large animals such as elephants, carfentanil reputedly has 4,000 times the effect of heroin, and 10,000 times the effect of morphine.

Even a few milligrams of carfentanil can be fatal to humans.

Windsor had its first confirmed death due to carfentanil overdose in June 2017. The body of the victim was discovered on the porch of a house in the 700 block of Dougall Avenue.

More details about the substance found in Tecumseh are scarce, but information on opioid overdose symptoms and how to get help with addiction issues can be read on the WECOSS website, www.wecoss.ca.

Related

  • Windsor police confirm city’s first fatal overdose from highly toxic carfentanil
  • Local paramedics expect 40 per cent increase in opioid overdoses this year
  • Fear of fentanyl: Windsor braces for next killer drug epidemic