Billings, Montana – There is an increase in clients at the Rimrock Foundation in Billings who may have started using marijuana that has been cut with other substances.
Authorities at the Rimrock Foundation feel that there is a misunderstanding about the legitimacy of the marijuana that people have access to since Cannabis has been authorized for recreational use in the state.
According to Jen Verhasselt, the Rimrock Foundation’s chief clinical officer, individuals seeking addiction treatment initially believe they are taking something different from opioids before learning later that it may have been mixed with other medications to improve strength.
“Many of those that we serve here at Rimrock using a different substance think that they are not using any type of opioid, especially Fentanyl, and when we see any type of results, they have used Fentanyl undenounced to them. So really what that kind of leads us to believe regarding treating our patients is that their use has increased without them knowing and that really any substance can have Fentanyl in it at this point,” emphasized Verhasselt.
She also claims that NARCAN is being given away for free and that the Rimrock Foundation is teaching people how to use it so that anyone can be prepared to deal with an overdose crisis.
“We are now a distributer of NARCAN as well as certified trainers. So, we can, for no purchase price and for free, can go to any place in the community, train, and distribute NARCAN as well as any community member can come into our doors, be trained within 5 to 10 mins and receive NARCAN to bring home with them,” explained Verhasselt.
The Rimrock Foundation advises people to use caution while consuming anything, especially if it is illegal and comes from an unidentified source.
