Resurgence of marijuana laced with embalming fluid

LAKELAND (FOX 13) - Thrill seekers are discovering a new kind of high - smoking marijuana, pot laced with embalming fluid.

“I have never seen anything like that in my life,” said Polk Sheriff Grady Judd.

It's commonly referred to as "wet" marijuana or "smoking wet."

Polk County just had its first known case of someone being arrested after allegedly getting high on wet marijuana.

Reginald Gray was arrested after a good Samaritan found his two-year-old son wandering along U.S. 27 around 4 a.m., according to Sheriff Judd.

“And what does his girlfriend say?” said Judd. “You know, when he smokes that marijuana soaked in embalming fluid, he does really crazy things.”

“Yeah, I think so,” commented Judd.

Similar cases are popping up around the country. A twenty-something interviewed by FOX 13 said smoking wet marijuana used to be popular and his generation is reviving the practice.

Experts say smoking marijuana laced with embalming fluid is a dangerous thing to do. The active ingredient, formaldehyde, is carcinogenic. Exposure to it can lead to nose, lung, or brain cancer.

Investigators say users have been known to steal embalming fluid from funeral homes or use cookbook chemistry to make it at home.