Fentanyl-Laced Marijuana Eyed In Cape Cod Near-Death

YARMOUTH, MA — Fentanyl-laced marijuana is being investigated as the cause of a Cape Cod man's near-death over the weekend. Police on Monday said officers found the man not breathing and without a pulse in Yarmouth Saturday afternoon. First responders had to administer two doses of Narcan to revive him, police said.

"Detectives believe that it is possible that the marijuana was laced with fentanyl," Yarmouth police said in a statement. The man's girlfriend told police the two smoked marijuana out of a bong at a house on Winslow Gray Road, police said. (Sign up for free daily newsletters and breaking news alerts from Massachusetts Patch sites.)

"The girlfriend admitted to the Officers that they both smoked the marijuana but did not realize it may have been laced with another drug which caused the overdose," Yarmouth police said in a statement. "The victim had no pulse and was not breathing. Yarmouth FD provided emergency first aid and life support as well as Narcan and promptly transported him to Cape Cod Hospital by ambulance ... a second dose of Narcan was given and the victim started to respond."

The girlfriend was hospitalized as a precaution but appeared to be OK otherwise, police said.

Fentanyl-laced marijuana has been found earlier this summer in Ohio in Hamilton County, according to a state coroner. There are few recent reports of the mixed drugs in other states.

In Canada, fentanyl mixed with marijuana was discovered in recent weeks in the Ontario province, according to health officials there.

Photo: Shutterstock