Report: Synthetic Marijuana, Fentanyl Found In CBD-Labeled Products

Dozens of people have ended up in the emergency room over the past two years due to illegal synthetic marijuana that was marketed as CBD, reports the Associated Press.

Data collected by law enforcement agencies and laboratories showed 128 positive samples out of more than 350 that were tested, the AP said. Most of those that contained synthetic marijuana were vape products, and 36 were edibles. 

Three samples even contained the strong opioid fentanyl, a drug involved in about 30,000 overdose deaths last year.

The AP said it paid for the analysis of 30 vapes, and 10 of them had synthetic marijuana, known as K2 or Spice.

The vapes were also examined for CBD. The results revealed that eight had no traceable level of CBD, and 14 were less than 0.3% CBD by weight. 

The rest had between 1.07% and 8.87% CBD by weight, the AP said.

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Among the tested products was Green Machine, a pod compatible with Juul electronic cigarettes that was purchased in California, Maryland and Florida.

Interestingly, as many as four out of seven pods had synthetic marijuana, but the chemical found depended on the point of sale and the flavor of the product. 

“It’s Russian roulette,” James Neal-Kababick, director of Flora Research Laboratories, which tested the products, told the AP. 

In recent weeks, vaping has been the source of safety and regulatory concerns, with hundreds of consumers suffering from lung illnesses and several of them dying.

The AP emphasized that law enforcement and its findings cannot be taken as representative of the entire CBD market.

Consumers who have a problem with a CBD product should call a local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.

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