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Cartel Fentanyl is in Everything – even Marijuana with Paula Santos-Young

Feb 18, 2025

If you think your child is safe, think again. Fentanyl isn't only in counterfeit pills anymore—it's laced into marijuana, hidden in vape pens, and disguised in party drugs. No one is immune.  

In our first episode of the year, host Michael Brown speaks with Paula Young, a mother who turned grief into action after her son, Andrew, unknowingly consumed fentanyl-laced marijuana and lost his life.

They reveal how cartels are evolving their tactics, why social media is fueling the crisis, and the urgent policy battles needed to fight fentanyl—an issue beyond party lines. Paula also shares the emotional journey behind Andrew's Law, a legislative push to make fentanyl education mandatory in schools nationwide.

We also discuss: 

  • How Andrew's story exposes the hidden dangers of trusting "safe" sources.
  • Why current drug laws fail to hold fentanyl dealers accountable.
  • The importance of bipartisan action to tackle the fentanyl crisis effectively.

For more information about Achieve Greatness, visit AchieveGreatness88.org

 

 

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Views expressed in this material are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rigaku Analytical Devices.

 

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Michael W. Brown is the global director of counter-narcotics technology at Rigaku Analytical Devices. He has a distinguished career spanning more than 32 years as a Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). He served as the country attaché in India and Myanmar; During his tour in Myanmar, he provided foreign advisory support for counter narcotic enforcement that, to date, has resulted in the interdiction of over US$250 million in precursor chemicals and implementing the regions first use of Raman spectroscopy to degrade the supply chain for narcotics production. He was also part of a special specialized counter narcotics unit operating in the jungles of South America tasked with locating and destroying drug labs and narcotic supply chains. Most recently he was the DEA Headquarters staff coordinator for the Office of Foreign Operations for the Middle East-Europe-Afghanistan-India. Michael is a graduate of the United States Ranger Training Battalion and has a master’s degree in interdisciplinary technology and management from the University of Eastern Michigan.

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