PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Days after they pointed the finger at over-the-counter THC gummies as the cause of two fentanyl overdoses, Montgomery County officials say lab tests didn’t detect the deadly drug.
On Friday, after two people were treated for fentanyl overdoses, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office said they found fentanyl in several brands of Delta-8 THC edibles. The strain is considered legal because it is derived from hemp.
Products are sold over the counter at CBD stores and smoke shops and do not require a medical marijuana card for purchases.
District Attorney Kevin Steele says the tests were done over the weekend with a very sensitive scanner that can detect trace amounts of narcotics. Results showed the suspected edibles “did not alert to any illegal drugs at the lab’s threshold of detection,” which Steele says means the lab's equipment is not as sensitive as the scanner they used initially.
Steele says the investigation is ongoing with further testing and scanning, including the possibility of cross-contamination in the making and packaging of the edibles.
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He added that Tobacco Hut and other smoke shops across Montgomery County have been very cooperative in the investigation.
People who purchased these products in Montgomery County that still have them can call the Montgomery County Detective Bureau at 610-278-3368 or their local police department to turn them in for testing.