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Fascinating as always, Mary Pat!

I was crudely looking to see if I noted any correlation with marijuana legalization - either giving some credence to the “gateway drug” argument or the possibility some might turn to cannabis rather than prescription opioids… but nothing is jumping out at me. I’d be curious if you’ve looked at it and noticed any correlation or lack thereof.

It’d also be interesting if there was any correlation with alcohol use, though perhaps more difficult to track? I suppose one could look at DUI’s…

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I highly doubt it. I don't think that fentanyl is being used to lace weed, etc.

It is being used to lace heroin, cocaine, meth, and all sorts of other drugs.

The places where the ODs are worst had a bad OD problem before fentanyl came on the scene -- when everybody was talking oxy in the early 2000s. So the gateway drug may have been oxycontin.

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Thanks for the speedy reply! That makes total sense. I had just wondered if there’s a difference in addiction issues in the states with higher rates… e.g. state x has higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse.

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