Simply stated, laced weed is cannabis that has been adultered with either stronger drugs or substances used to mask poor-quality marijuana. Personal users lace their own weed with drugs like cocaine and LSD too. A joint or bowl laced with cocaine is called “primo,” and a joint with LSD-laced paper is often called a “rainbow joint.” It is also not unheard of for users to add heroin, meth, PCP, and MDMA to their weed in order to soften the effects or come down from those drugs.

Yet, some adulterants are more nefarious. A desperate dealer can use dangerous means to improve the appearance of low-grade cannabis. Crushed glass can make it sparkle with the appearance of more trichomes, making it appear more potent. Powdered laundry detergent can also be sprinkled in to give the appearance of lots of kief and manipulate the smell.

Dealers have even been known to give nostrils a false kick by spraying the herb with diesel fuel, skunk spray, and perfume, or putting it in a bag containing fruit peels or moldy cheese to make unremarkable weed resemble the odors of powerful, signature strains. Even spraying or dipping buds in food coloring and powdered sugar is not unheard of. Most often, weed is simply moistened or mixed with oregano or other plant material to add weight.

However, before you raise the alarm, it’s important to put things into perspective. Lacing cannabis is still extremely rare, except by personal users with their own stuff. Much of the hype of laced weed is a scare tactic promoted by prohibitionists and the police. Even gangs want repeat customers, and knockoff or laced weed is a quick way to ruin your reputation. Usually, concerns over laced cannabis are often sounded by light smokers who are not accustomed to the more powerful effects of THC, which can be quite strong in high doses.

If you’ve smoked a little too much cannabis, don’t be surprised if you experience any of these side effects: