Carfentanil found in product resembling cannabis in Tecumseh

A product resembling cannabis was found to contain carfentanil in Tecumseh by OPP.

According to Windsor-Essex Community Opioid & Substance Strategy, this was first flagged in an alert in other regions on May 21. 

The presence of carfentanil was confirmed May 23, according to the alert sent by WECOSS.

"There is no cannabis in this product," says the alert.

On May 21, Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy sounded the alarm for this substance. After the drug was formally confirmed, it said on Twitter that the substance is "carfentanil that has been disguised to resemble cannabis."

There was a similar product containing heroin and fentanyl seized in Ohio as well.

Windsor police said it hasn't encountered any similar substances in its jurisdiction, but that people should be more wary.

"If consuming cannabis, make sure to know your source," Windsor police said in a tweet.

Brandon Bailey, member of the Windsor Overdose Prevention Society, said the photo he has seen of the product actually looks nothing like cannabis, and that cannabis users may feel law enforcement and health units are fear mongering "because of their anti-cannabis stance."

But he still wants to get more photos from police whenever they find something. CBC news has not obtained any photos of the carfentanil seized in Tecumseh from OPP.

"I think it's very important that we see what they're finding, so we know what to be able to warn people on the streets with," said Bailey.

He's not surprised that carfentanil is present in the community.

"If we are keeping drugs illegal and criminalizing people who use drugs, they're going to continue to come up with a stronger, street illicit supply and that's just how prohibition works," he said.