PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A local drug rehabilitation expert wants people to be aware that marijuana in our area could have heroin in it.

Dr. Neil Capretto from Gateway Rehabilitation said, “I’ve heard three reports in the last 10 days of people saying there’s marijuana coming in from the Youngstown area that’s laced with heroin.”

He says heroin is now potent enough that needles aren’t needed. He says people can smoke it just as they smoke marijuana.

As to why dealers would mix a cheaper drug with a more expensive one, “it could be for a couple of reasons.”

“The marijuana dealer may be trying to spice up his marijuana to make it strong,” said Dr. Capretto.

He says there’s competition between dealers, and they could charge more for a mixture.

“Or a more sinister reason could be that they’re trying to recruit new people to be future heroin addicts,” he said.

Dr. Capretto says he’s been told that teenagers in middle and high schools are being targeted.

Dr. Capretto says he certainly doesn’t condone marijuana’s use by itself, either.

He says it’s particularly dangerous for teenagers with developing brains, but he says the marijuana/heroin mixture adds to potential problems.

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