How to Tell if Your Weed is Laced (Before You Smoke it)

There are many risks that come with indulging in marijuana if it's illegal in your neighborhood. The risk of being arrested is a given, as is the risk of potentially losing your job over it. However life-altering these risks may be, they pale in comparison to what can happen if you smoke a joint of laced weed.

Even with the most trustworthy dealer, there's a small chance that the goods they're offering could be laced with something else. Sometimes you might be better off ordering tincture from reliable brands like Medterra. But if you're not 100% confident with your source, you can prevent something terrible from happening by looking for these warning signs before you light up.

Does it smell strange?

Weed that is laced with PCP and other solvents often won't smell like regular weed. Instead of a light herbal scent, laced weed will typically smell chemical. PCP-laced weed often smells a bit like formaldehyde or ether, even when dried. When lit, it has a very strong smell that often mimics nail varnish with a hint of copper.

If you smell the nugget and it smells like burning plastic before it's even lit, that's not PCP. Rather, that tends to be a sign that it's been laced with DMT, a high-strength hallucinogen. When lit, this smells like a very foul garbage dump... or like very pungent rotten cheese.

Marijuana laced with cocaine or crack tends to have a typically rancid, bittersweet, and chemical smell, but depending on what else was in the cocaine, that can quickly turn to a metallic chemical aroma.

Generally speaking, though, you shouldn't try weed that smells bad. Marijuana that has a mildewy smell may actually have mold growing in it, and that's basically asking for a coughing fit.

Does it taste funny?

Everyone who's taken a toke knows that distinct flavor that weed typically has. It's sweet, smoky, and just delightfully herbal. Pure hits may cause a little coughing, but it typically won't be painful.

On the other hand, laced weed will often have a very strong chemical taste to it. Many agents, including PCP, tend to taste very metallic. If the marijuana smoke tastes like biting into an aspirin pill, then there's definitely something wrong with what you're smoking.

Really look at the weed. Does it roll into a sticky-ish substance?

Real, pure weed will have cannabis trichomes, which are white miniature crystals that will turn into a sticky brown substance when rubbed. If you notice a lot of the crystals on your weed, rub it between your fingers. Pure marijuana will get very sticky. (This is why they call weed "sticky icky.")

Laced marijuana won't get sticky at all, and will continue to feel powdery between your fingers. Dealers who are looking to trick novice smokers will crush up pills or add other powders to the pot in a bid to try to fake trichomes's appearance.

Does it spark when you light it?

Though we may call it "sparking up," unadulterated weed very rarely sparks. The only sparks that should happen is from pot seeds that pop as they're sparked up.

If you notice that your herb is popping extremely frequently, it could be that it wasn't flushed correctly... or it could be that the joint you're smoking is laced.

Another related warning sign is if the joint flares up when its exposed to a light. This is a sign that it may have been dipped in fuel, and you really don't want that in your lungs.

If you've been smoking the joint, do you feel unusually giddy when compared to other times you've smoked up?

Most people who smoke weed get a bit giggly, hungry, or otherwise happy when they light up. This is totally normal, and it's a big reason why so many people love to get high. After all, we wouldn't want to get high if it didn't leave us feeling good, would we?

But, with laced pot, it's often a matter of an order of magnitude. If you really can't stop talking, are unable to stop pacing back and forth, or are feeling a "rolling" euphoria, it's very likely that you're dealing with laced stuff.

Are you hallucinating or feeling numbness spreading throughout your body?

One of the most common signs that you're smoking weed laced with PCP is the inability to feel anything your body touches. If you notice this happening to you, stop smoking immediately. Smoking PCP can lead to permanent nerve damage.

If you're hallucinating, chances are that you're smoking something that is laced. However, it could be almost anything. DMT, LSD, MDMA, PCP, and even meth have all been known to cause visual or audio hallucinations in people.

Do you feel irrationally angry or anxious?

Most marijuana smokers won't feel agitated or angry. In fact, medical marijuana users may even be prescribed the herb if they have anger issues as a way to mellow them out.

Though there are some cannabis strains that are associated with a burst of energy, if you're feeling very anxious, paranoid, aggressive, and rowdy, there's a possibility that it may be laced. Meth, crack, and PCP lacing can all cause this kind of reaction.

On a similar note, people who smoked laced weed may end up just finding that they have a difficult time sleeping after they hit the bong. If you're noticing this issue from a new batch you've gotten, it's possible that the weed may have been laced with amphetamines.

Did you go unconscious?

Rohypnol, a form of "roofie" that's typically slipped into drinks, can also be added to marijuana. If you can't remember what happened, or if you're having an exceptionally hard time staying conscious, you may have been smoking a joint laced with this chemical.

Thankfully, it's easy to tell when you're smoking bud laced with Rohypnol, primarily because it kicks in around 20 to 30 minutes after you smoke. If you begin feeling "drunk," and are noticing that it's very hard to stay awake, you need to seek medical assistance immediately because that herb was laced.

Does it appear or feel moist?

This is typically the most obvious sign that weed has been laced with a liquid agent. If it's wet to the touch or looks like it's wet, don't smoke it. It's not worth the risk.