My Experience with Contaminated Black Market Cannabis
An unwanted change in my health made me realize the danger.
I was a victim of black market cannabis.
When a close friend offered me cannabis at half the price dispensaries were selling, I was excited to save so much money. I am knowledgeable about how many taxes are thrown onto the plant; how much cannabis once cost from the black market before it was legal in my state. And when my friend offered me some of the plant at less than the prices I saw on the black market before it was legal, innocent as I was, I wanted in.
But there were consequences to saving so much money. It wasn’t until I began feeling weak, having diarrhea, and experiencing cold sweats that I realized I was the victim of black-market cannabis that had failed state pesticide testing.
At first, I had no idea what was wrong with me. I’m a recreational consumer that occasionally uses cannabis for spiritual or creative activities after hours.
When I was given a tiny bag of free cannabis to test out how much I liked it, there were no problems at first. I didn’t even ask if it was a sativa or indica. I just tried it because it was from a source I believed was trustworthy.
It only took three sessions to realize something wasn’t right. The third time I tried the cheap cannabis I began to feel paranoia instead of relaxation despite never changing my serving size. I felt anxious… I began to “un-focus”. I didn’t know if it was the cannabis or if I was simply allowing my overall bad mood about the day get to me.
But the fourth time I tried vaping the black-market weed, I felt sick. I was having stomach pains and diarrhea. Headaches banged in the back of my head. I was sweating but cold. Something wasn’t right. My family had been eating the same foods as me so I didn't understand why I was having such problems.
As if some sublime energy was guiding me, I came across an article about black market cannabis. Then I looked up symptoms of internal pesticide exposure and there they were - the exact symptoms I was having.
As soon as I realized the cannabis my friend had sold me was contaminated, I threw it all away. I told myself I would only ever buy from a legitimate dispensary from here on out because the extra money was worth my health.
If you ever have someone offer you cannabis in a legal state that’s cheaper than the cannabis sold at dispensaries, I hope you consider the negative effects. Pesticides were simply something I didn’t think about. I thought I was helping a friend when in fact I was harming myself.
Learn More: Black Market Delivery in Legal States?
If you believe you've tried contaminated cannabis, clean any instruments used to smoke/vape it or containers that have held it - and of course, get rid of it.
If you've had an experience with illegal or contaminated cannabis, share with others your story in the comments below.