PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (CBS12) — Fentanyl-laced marijuana — long seen as rare — is showing up in police reports and addiction centers, including in Palm Beach County.
Last month, a woman in Rhode Island died after smoking marijuana that had been laced with fentanyl — marijuana that wasn’t bought from a dispensary.
Just last week, a West Palm Beach teen was arrested after officers say they discovered an ounce of marijuana laced with fentanyl during a traffic stop.
Days later, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed “Gage’s Law,” requiring hospitals to test for fentanyl in all suspected overdose cases.
Now addiction experts say the threat is real — and growing.
Traffic stop uncovers deadly mix
On Wednesday, April 23, Palm Beach Gardens Police officers pulled over a silver Honda near Kew Gardens Avenue and Gardens Parkway, not far from The Gardens Mall. Officers say the car had dark tints and failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign.
When they approached the driver’s side, officers reported that 18-year-old Brian Rosado appeared nervous — “sweating and stammering.”
According to the police report, Rosado told officers he’d previously been on parole for marijuana charges as a minor. That admission gave police probable cause to search the vehicle.
Inside, they say they found:
Vials of THC oilE-cigarette pens and packagingA digital scale$792 in cashA novelty pipe shaped like a Minion cartoon character28 grams (1 ounce) of marijuana — which later tested positive for both THC and fentanyl
Rosado was arrested and charged with:
47 counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription (Florida Statute 893.13 6A)1 count of possession of drug paraphernalia (893.147 1 MF)1 count of possession with intent to sell a controlled substance (893.13 1A1 FS)
He was released on bond last Friday.
“It’s all fentanyl now”
Experts say this arrest highlights a broader and dangerous trend — fentanyl being found in nearly everything.
“We see it more and more. Everything is fentanyl,” said Carrie Carlton, a licensed clinical social worker at Beachway Therapy Center, an inpatient rehab facility in West Palm Beach. “If somebody were to buy a pill off the street, it’s most likely fentanyl. If somebody were to purchase cocaine, it’s most likely fentanyl. If someone were to purchase marijuana — it could be laced with fentanyl.”
Carlton says their team is seeing fewer heroin users these days — because fentanyl has completely taken over the street drug supply.
“Addiction has changed. It’s not what it used to be,” she said. “We have a lot of people who have shared with us that they put fentanyl in their weed, or they buy it and it has fentanyl in it, and they OD.”
Carlton says Beachway tests every new patient for fentanyl — even if they say they haven’t used it.
The numbers in Palm Beach County
“In Palm Beach County alone, 360 people reported overdoses in January,” Carlton said. “In February, that number was 321. In March, 404. That’s just in our county.”
While it’s unclear how many of those overdoses were fatal, Carlton says even one death from an accidental exposure is too many.
Nationally, about 150 people die every day from fentanyl overdoses, according to the CDC.
See also: Florida man arrested after threatening to shoot President Trump
“Gage’s Law” signed days later
Just one week after Rosado’s arrest, Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1195, known as Gage’s Law.
The law is named after Gage Austin Taylor, who died in 2022 after unknowingly ingesting a substance laced with fentanyl. His family says they were left in the dark about what killed him — until it was too late.
The new law now requires hospitals to test for fentanyl in any suspected overdose or poisoning case.
Carlton believes the law will save lives.
“It’ll make a difference because the doctor or the treating provider will know what they’re treating and they’ll be able to treat it appropriately,” she said. “They can administer Narcan if that’s what’s needed.”
Gage’s Law goes into effect July 1.
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Fentanyl-laced marijuana — once dismissed as a myth — is showing up in police reports and addiction centers, including in Palm Beach County. Read More
