A Rhode Island woman has died from smoking marijuana laced with fentanyl.
Police in Warwick, near Providence, found a 27-year-old woman unresponsive at an unnamed hotel last week around 2:30 a.m.
The woman bought weed from the black market, and police told the Providence Journal that a preliminary investigation determined she died from an opioid overdose.
Police are investigating the source of the drugs and told the public “to exercise extreme caution when purchasing or using marijuana from unregulated sources.”
“As our investigation continues, we are working to determine whether this is an isolated incident or part of a larger trend,” Warwick Capt. Daniel DiMaio told the Journal.
The Massachusetts Family Institute said the event, while tragic, is a reminder of the dangers of attempts to normalize drug use.
“It is very sad to learn that a young woman lost her life from smoking fentanyl-laced marijuana,” Communications Director Mary Ellen Siegler told The Lion via email. “Our hearts go out to the family and friends who loved her.
“MFI has long warned about the dangers of legalizing recreational drug use and the devastating consequences it can have on individuals, families, and communities,” she continued. “This heartbreaking case is yet another example of why our elected officials must prioritize public health and safety by repealing the legalization of recreational drugs. No family should have to suffer such a loss, and we urge lawmakers to take action to prevent further tragedies.”
Even though the Ocean State has legalized recreational marijuana – its first dispensaries opened in December 2022 – it still has a black market weed problem.
Over half the pot smoked in the geographically smallest state comes from illegal sales, a January 2025 news report said.
Lt. Derek Melfi of the State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force worries the illegal enterprise will help fuel other crimes.
“Our big concern with marijuana is when it starts entering that large amount, you bring the potential for violence into the equation,” he told the Journal. “With people who are selling large amounts of marijuana and are holding and transporting large amounts of money, that is the perfect recipe for robbery with firearms.”
While arguing against cannabis legalization in 2017, former state Attorney General Peter Kilmartin, a Democrat, said legalizing it wouldn’t kill the black market.
“All you need to do is look at cigarette sales in the state of Rhode Island and the enforcement of untaxed cigarettes,” he told WPRI. “That is a black market that exists with a legal tobacco product.”
Cigarette smuggling costs states $5 billion in lost revenue, according to The Tax Foundation.
Even legally regulated marijuana without fentanyl carries significant health risks.
The drug can impair brain function, elevate heart rate and blood pressure, and cause lung damage, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s also linked to mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. Additionally, it impairs driving, increasing the risk of accidents. Edibles present another danger: unintentional poisoning, especially for children and pets.
Recreational marijuana is legal in 24 states, most of which are Democrat-controlled, according to DISA Global Solutions.
However, cannabis remains illegal federally.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration still classifies it as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin, because it has “a high potential for abuse and the potential to create severe psychological and/or physical dependence.”
A Rhode Island woman has died from smoking marijuana laced with fentanyl. Police in Warwick, near Providence, found a 27-year-old woman unresponsive at an unnamed hotel last week around 2:30 a.m. The woman bought weed from the black market, and police told the Providence Journal that a preliminary investigation determined she died from an opioid Read More
