ROC Weekly News Bites

Opioid Seizure with Potential of 50M Overdoses, New Laws Passed to Help Those with SUD, and Launch of Fastest and Most Reliable At-Home Drug Testing Kits

Here is a recap of some of the top industry-related news stories of the week:

Synthetic opioid strong enough to 'kill more than 50M people' seized in California, authorities say

A recent Southern California drug bust led to the seizure of 46.2 pounds of carfentanil, 8.8 pounds of cocaine, and 2.2 pounds of heroin. The drug bust happened in Perris, California, 70 miles southwest of Los Angeles in Riverside County. This is the single largest seizure of carfentanil in Riverside County history.

This amount of drugs is estimated to have the potential to kill 50 million people if mixed in with other drugs. Carfentanil is a tranquilizer, typically given to elephants and other large animals. When administered to humans, the drug is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl, according to the DEA.

The two California residents are arrested and are currently being held without bail.

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NY Governor Signs Decriminalization of Syringes, Expands Crimes Eligible for Treatment Over Jail

In an attempt to reduce overdose deaths, and encourage those with addictions to seek treatment rather than end up incarcerated, five new laws were passed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul. Included in these changes are an amendment to the criminal procedure that decriminalizes the possession of drugs that block the effects of opioids, expanding access to drugs that help treat addictions, and in turn, expanding the number of treatments and therapies available to those that are incarcerated.

Another change decriminalized the possession and sale of hypodermic needles and syringes and established an online directory for distributors of reversal drugs like Narcan. This change in legislation also expanded the list of crimes committed by people on drugs that qualify for diversion into treatment programs instead of incarceration.

The final new piece of legislation updates the term "substance abuse" to "substance use" to provide judges with more flexibility to order an individual into treatment rather than incarceration.

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Verifique™ launches as the fastest and most accurate at-home drug testing kit on the global market

Veriteque USA Inc. launched its first consumer brand, Verifique™ this week. The company also makes presumptive testing kits, known as SwabTek™, for narcotics and explosives used by law enforcement and government agencies.

While the SwabTek™ tests have long been available through third parties, the launch of Verifique™ now means that consumers can purchase it directly for their own use.

The tests come in two forms: a cannabis test kit and a fentanyl test kit, both of which provide detection in vape pens, edibles, pills, and powders. The results of these tests come in 30 seconds, making it the fastest and most accurate at-home drug testing kit in the global market.

The Verifique™ testing kits are available on their website. 

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