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Health officials dispute Pemier’s claim fentanyl appearing in marijuana
Vancouver, BC, Canada / News Talk 980 CKNW | Vancouver's News. Vancouver's Talk
Emily Lazatin
Posted: November 17, 2016 09:15 pm
Is it true… Could pot now be laced with fentanyl?
That’s the claim Premier Christy Clark is making, as she takes her pitch for more help in the opioid crisis to Ottawa.
Speaking to reporters today, Clark said the toxic narcotic had turned up in pot seized by Vancouver cops.
“Vancouver police did a major seizure, they found cocaine with fentanyl, heroin with fentanyl, methamphetamine with fentanyl and marijuana with fentanyl,” she said.
It’s a worrying claim. And one that’s news to Vancouver Coastal Health’s Chief Medical Health Officer Patricia Daly.
“I can only speak for what we know in the Vancouver Coastal Region and we haven’t had any reports of fentanyl contamination of marijuana here at this point,” she said.
READ MORE: Overdose deaths soar, now 56% higher than 2015
She says from a medical standpoint, officials can’t trace the drug backwards from the system of an overdose victim – but from an administrative standpoint there’s been no word.
“Almost all of those who are dying of illicit drug overdoses have fentanyl in their system also have evidence of other drugs in their system. But certainly we’ve had no reports from the police or others that fentanyl has been found in any of the marijuana that’s sold here in the health authority,” she said.
Metro Vancouver’s other major health region, Fraser Health, says it hasn’t received reports of fentanyl appearing in marijuana either.
The Vancouver Police Department could not be reached for comment.
However, back in August, the VPD said testing had revealed the presence of fentanyl in virtually all street drugs – with the specific exception of marijuana.
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Vancouver, BC, Canada / News Talk 980 CKNW | Vancouver's News. Vancouver's Talk
Emily Lazatin
Posted: November 17, 2016 09:15 pm
Is it true… Could pot now be laced with fentanyl?
That’s the claim Premier Christy Clark is making, as she takes her pitch for more help in the opioid crisis to Ottawa.
Speaking to reporters today, Clark said the toxic narcotic had turned up in pot seized by Vancouver cops.
“Vancouver police did a major seizure, they found cocaine with fentanyl, heroin with fentanyl, methamphetamine with fentanyl and marijuana with fentanyl,” she said.
It’s a worrying claim. And one that’s news to Vancouver Coastal Health’s Chief Medical Health Officer Patricia Daly.
“I can only speak for what we know in the Vancouver Coastal Region and we haven’t had any reports of fentanyl contamination of marijuana here at this point,” she said.
READ MORE: Overdose deaths soar, now 56% higher than 2015
She says from a medical standpoint, officials can’t trace the drug backwards from the system of an overdose victim – but from an administrative standpoint there’s been no word.
“Almost all of those who are dying of illicit drug overdoses have fentanyl in their system also have evidence of other drugs in their system. But certainly we’ve had no reports from the police or others that fentanyl has been found in any of the marijuana that’s sold here in the health authority,” she said.
Metro Vancouver’s other major health region, Fraser Health, says it hasn’t received reports of fentanyl appearing in marijuana either.
The Vancouver Police Department could not be reached for comment.
However, back in August, the VPD said testing had revealed the presence of fentanyl in virtually all street drugs – with the specific exception of marijuana.
Click here to report an error