TBI confirms Fentanyl-laced Marijuana found in Tennessee

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on June 22, 2018.

Putting all speculation to the rest, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed that Fentanyl-laced marijuana has been found in Tennessee.

The TBI confirmed that the Fentanyl-laced marijuana was found in one of the forensic labs of the city.  

Tommy Farmer, the TBI Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Division and Director of the Tennessee Dangerous Drugs Task Force, said that marijuana sample turned into the TBI Crime Lab in Nashville tested positive for Fentanyl, a powerful and narcotic painkiller, which is considered deadly when administered even in small doses.

Farmer said that there are about 27, 28 states right now that have passed some form of legalization and we suspect that the Fentanyl-laced marijuana is shipped in from different states including Oregon, Washington State, Colorado and California.

More than a year now rumors of fentanyl-laced marijuana have been popping up across the country. Even the former agent of Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Neil Morganstern was asked about Fentanyl appearing in other drugs on one of the October editions of Inside Tennessee in 2017.  

Even people, in many online sources, claimed marijuana dealers are lacing their product with Fentanyl for a stronger high.

“One of the things I want to get out and have students know is right here in the state of Tennessee, we’ve had incidents of marijuana laced with Fentanyl,” he said.

The TBI could not identify it at that time as forensic scientists in all three labs statewide, could not find any Fentanyl-laced marijuana drug samples.

T.J. Jordan, Assistant Director for TBI's Drug Investigation Division, meanwhile, expressed concern with finding Fentanyl in any non-opioid drugs, which he said could be a deadly combination.

“For some time now, we’ve warned about the dangers surrounding Fentanyl for those struggling with opioid or prescription drug addiction," Jordan said. "This submission (of Fentanyl mixed with cocaine), however, changes the game. It proves the serious risk now also applies to recreational drugs beyond opioids. To be blunt: What you might buy and use, thinking it’s a good time, could cost you your life.”

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