Most explanations of sherm sticks pick one answer — it's PCP, or it's embalming fluid — and state it confidently. The accurate answer is less satisfying and more important: the name doesn't reliably tell you which, and that uncertainty is the main hazard.
Key Takeaways
- “Sherm” is a cigarette or joint dipped in a liquid — usually PCP, formaldehyde-based fluid, or both
- The terminology is genuinely unreliable: “embalming fluid” is sometimes slang for PCP, sometimes literal
- PCP and formaldehyde carry different risks and different emergencies — and you can’t tell which you have
- The peer-reviewed evidence base is unusually thin, which is a reason for caution, not comfort
What a Sherm Stick Is
A cigarette or cannabis joint dipped in a liquid before being smoked. It goes by many names — sherm, wet, dip, fry, happy sticks — and the names vary by region and shift over time. What doesn't vary is the absence of any standard: no consistent liquid, no consistent concentration, no consistent anything.
The Name Problem
In some places "embalming fluid" is street slang for PCP and involves no formaldehyde. In others the liquid genuinely is formaldehyde-based. Published descriptions of these cigarettes list them as dipped in or laced with formaldehyde, phencyclidine, and other substances [1] — which is to say both, depending.
It's tempting to treat this as a trivia question. It isn't. Two chemically unrelated substances with different effects, different risks, and different emergency responses circulate under one name, and nobody in the chain — including the person selling it — can tell you reliably which one is in front of you. That's the part worth taking away.
If It Is Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a recognized human carcinogen and a significant respiratory irritant [3]. Burning it and inhaling the products is not a scenario with an established safe level, and the acute effects on the airway can be severe rather than gradual.
The clearest documented case involved respiratory failure serious enough to require intensive support after smoking a tainted cannabis cigarette [1]. That is a single case report rather than a population study — but it describes an outcome that arrived quickly.
If It Is PCP
PCP is a dissociative anesthetic [2]. It separates perception from sensation, producing detachment, distorted perception of time and space, and at higher doses severe agitation, confusion, and psychotic symptoms.
Two features make it particularly risky in an uncontrolled setting. It blunts pain perception while causing agitation, so people can sustain serious injuries without registering them — this is the reality behind the "superhuman strength" folklore, which is better understood as someone unable to feel damage they're doing to themselves. And the psychiatric effects can outlast the drug: for some people, symptoms persist well beyond the acute period, with higher risk for anyone with a personal or family history of psychosis.
Because dipped products have no consistent concentration, the amount taken is unknown even to someone with prior experience of PCP. Dose control isn't possible here in any meaningful sense.
What the Evidence Actually Shows
Worth being straight about: the peer-reviewed literature specifically on dipped cigarettes is sparse — a small number of case reports across several decades. Pages that describe precise effects and incidence rates are extrapolating from what's known about PCP and formaldehyde separately, not reporting studies of this product.
That thin evidence base is not reassurance. It means the specific combination is poorly characterized, its long-term effects aren't well described, and emergency clinicians treating someone are working with limited guidance about what they're treating. Unstudied and safe are different things.
Getting help
If use has become regular, or if there have been episodes of paranoia, confusion, or symptoms that didn't clear when the drug wore off, that's worth medical attention rather than waiting to see. Persistent psychiatric symptoms after dissociative use don't reliably resolve on their own.
Substances like this are often doing a job — managing something that was already there. Where that's the case, treating the substance use and the underlying condition together is what holds. Our residential and outpatient programs both handle this, and if you're worried about someone else, our Families & Loved Ones team can help you raise it.
Call 911 for difficulty breathing, chest pain, seizure, dangerously high body temperature, unresponsiveness, or severe agitation with confusion. Tell responders what was smoked if you know — and say if you don't, because that's useful information too. If this brings up thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
FAQs
- What is a sherm stick?
- A cigarette or cannabis joint that has been dipped in a liquid before smoking — most often PCP, formaldehyde-based embalming fluid, or a combination. It circulates under many names, including wet, dip, fry, and happy sticks. There is no standard product and no standard content.
- Does sherm actually contain embalming fluid?
- Sometimes, and this is genuinely unsettled. In some places "embalming fluid" is street slang for PCP; in others the liquid really is formaldehyde-based. Published descriptions of these cigarettes list both formaldehyde and phencyclidine as typical additives. The honest position is that the term does not reliably tell you which you are dealing with.
- Why is that ambiguity dangerous?
- Because it means nobody in the chain can tell you what you are taking. PCP and formaldehyde produce different effects, different risks, and different emergencies, and a person cannot know which they have encountered until something goes wrong. Uncertainty about the substance is not a side issue here — it is the central hazard.
- What does PCP do?
- PCP is a dissociative anesthetic. It produces detachment from body and surroundings, distorted perception, and at higher doses severe agitation, confusion, and in some cases psychotic symptoms that can persist beyond the drug itself. Because it blunts pain perception while causing agitation, people can injure themselves without registering it.
- Is formaldehyde dangerous to smoke?
- Formaldehyde is a recognized human carcinogen and a respiratory irritant, and inhaling its combustion products is not something with a safe threshold. A published case report documents respiratory failure severe enough to require intensive support following smoking of a tainted cannabis cigarette.
- Can smoking sherm cause lasting psychiatric problems?
- Dissociatives can trigger psychotic symptoms, and for some people those symptoms outlast the drug. Risk appears higher for people with a personal or family history of psychosis. Because the products are inconsistent and the research base is small, precise numbers are not available — but persistent symptoms after use are a reason for prompt psychiatric assessment.
- Does insurance cover treatment for this and co-occurring mental health conditions?
- Most major plans cover medically necessary treatment for substance use and mental health conditions together. You can verify coverage for free in a few minutes.
Sources
- Gilbert CR, Baram M, Cavarocchi NC. Texas Heart Institute Journal (2013), NIH/PMC. “Smoking wet”: respiratory failure related to smoking tainted marijuana cigarettes.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Psychedelic and Dissociative Drugs.
- National Cancer Institute (NIH). Formaldehyde and Cancer Risk.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Cannabis (Marijuana).
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is not guidance on obtaining, preparing, or using any substance.
Written by
Executive Director
Dominic Perry is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC), Master Addiction Counselor (MAC), and DOT Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) with approximately eight years of experience in behavioral health and substance use treatment. Dominic began his work with Virtue as a therapist at the Corbett residential facility before progressing into leadership, and now serves as Executive Director of Virtue Recovery Center – Outpatient in Las Vegas. He earned his Bachelor of Social Work from UNLV and his Master of Social Work from the University of Nevada Reno.
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