DEA's Alarming Fentanyl Seizure, Nevada's Nearly $1B In Sales, Oregon Raids Yield Hefty Fines & More

DEA Seizes Alarming Amount Of Fentanyl As Overdose Deaths Continue To Soar

The Drug Enforcement Administration has seized over 10 million fentanyl pills and roughly 980 pounds of fentanyl powder as part of its enforcement operation conducted from May to September.

According to the agency's recent report, the amount seized is equal to over 36 million lethal doses, which would have otherwise ended up on the streets.

"Fentanyl is responsible for killing thousands of people in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia (DMV)," said Jarod Forget, DEA Washington Division's Special Agent in Charge. "We are working diligently with our federal, state, and local partners to mitigate this public health crisis."

As part of the One Pill Can Kill initiative, DEA agents also scooped up 338 weapons, such as rifles, shotguns, pistols and hand grenades.

Out of 390 investigated cases over the same period, 51 were related to overdose poisonings, while 35 are directly connected to one or both of the primary Mexican drug organizations: the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartels.

"Mexican cartels are pushing deadly fake pills, often laced with fentanyl, into our neighborhoods to exploit the opioid crisis," Forget continued.

Unfortunately, 66% of 107,622 Americans who died in 2021 due to drug poisoning or overdose are related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. 

Meanwhile, recent stories about fentanyl-laced marijuana have raised more than a few eyebrows. However, a 6-month investigation undertaken by Leafly LFLY, which analyzed the claims found that "the lie spreads from three sources: Faulty field drug testing kits, police departments incentivized to hype local fear, and reporters who fail to question, investigate, or follow up on police claims."

Quite the contrary, many studies have proved that cannabis could be an adequate substitute for those needing opioids.

One such study, Medical Cannabis Use Reduces Opioid Prescriptions in Patients With Osteoarthritis, recently found that medical cannabis "reduces opioid prescription for patients with chronic OA pain and improves pain and quality of life."

Nevada Inches Toward $1 Billion In Marijuana Purchases In FY 2022

As cannabis becomes more popular among Nevadans, nearly $1 billion worth of products were sold in the 2022 fiscal year with the state undergoing steady market growth.

Total combined marijuana sales of $965,091,123 from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, generated over $152 million in tax revenue, as reported by Nevada's Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB).

Residents of Clark County, site of the famed Las Vegas Strip, spent a total of $754.3 million on cannabis purchases, followed by marijuana customers from Washoe County, who paid $126.8 million.

Earlier this year, the CCB approved regulations allowing cannabis consumption lounges to operate within the state.

"The CCB expects to open the first licensing round for consumption lounges in the Fall, allowing for the first consumption lounges to open as early as the end of the year," the regulatory body said in a statement.

Oregon Marijuana Raids Results In Hefty Fines

Over 10,000 cannabis plants and 4,020 pounds of processed weed were seized by the Jackson County Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team from three separate Oregon-based properties over the last month, reported Mail Tribune.

The police didn't find any connection between the operations.

The seized cannabis cultivation and processing facility in the 7900 block of East Antelope Road in rural Eagle Point didn't have a license to grow cannabis. The property owner was issued a $2,000 fine for operating without marijuana production approval.

A property in the 700 block of West Fork Trail Creek Road was also raided, resulting in the seizure of 740 plants and 3,900 pounds of processed cannabis. The owner of the greenhouse structures who ran the unapproved production was fined $21,000.

Lastly, IMET also seized 3,334 plants and 120 pounds of processed marijuana at a site in the 15500 block of East Evans Creek Road in Rogue River and fined the owner $14,000.

North Dakota Legalization Advocates Produce Two TV Adds Urging Supporters To Vote This Fall

North Dakota marijuana activists gathered enough signatures earlier this year to submit a petition for placing recreational cannabis legalization on the ballot scheduled for November. New Approach ND, the campaign organizers behind the effort, announced in July that they had turned in 25,762 signatures to the Secretary of State Al Jaeger's office. A month later, Jaeger certified the measure.

Now, New Approach ND is behind two 60-second radio ads that will air across the state. The ads are voiced by the campaign's treasurer Mark Friese who is also an attorney and a former police officer, and a military veteran Scott Brand, reported Marijuana Moment.

"When I returned home from Iraq in 2007, I saw fellow veterans suffering from PTSD and debilitating pain," Brand said. "For many people struggling with serious health issues, marijuana is the only thing that helps."

The other ad featuring Friese opens with him saying it's "time for a change, and it starts with us. During my five years as a patrol officer with the Bismarck Police Department, I witnessed firsthand the waste of resources arresting and prosecuting people for small amounts of marijuana," he said. "Measure 2 allows police to spend more time and resources on more serious and violent crimes."

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