Squamish RCMP seize fentanyl-laced cannabis from local youth

Squamish RCMP has seized fentanyl-laced cannabis from a local youth.

Police didn’t specify the quantity, but said they had seized some fentanyl-laced cannabis. The seized cannabis was sent for testing which confirmed fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. Even small amounts can be deadly.

“For those who use cannabis, you need to know its source and contents, as well have a safety plan should something happen to you,” Squamish RCMP said.

Fentanyl use by people who use drugs in BC has doubled since 2015, and two-thirds of people are aware they’ve taken it, according a new research reported recently by the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC).

“This research shows the majority of people who use fentanyl know they’re doing so,” said Dr. Jane Buxton, BCCDC epidemiologist and harm reduction lead.

“Making people who use drugs aware of the presence of fentanyl in the drug supply isn’t enough; we need harm reduction services, substance use treatment, overdose prevention resources, and pharmaceutical alternatives to the toxic drug supply to reduce the devastating impact of fentanyl and its analogues on our communities.”

According to preliminary data from the BC Coroner’s Service, fentanyl or its analogues such as carfentanil were found in 85 per cent of fatal overdose cases in 2019.

The study also found that recent fentanyl use was more common in people living in urban settings, and that people who used fentanyl were more likely to have also recently used heroin or crystal meth.

Self-reported cannabis use was also associated with reduced fentanyl use, the study found.