At least 85 people were accidentally drunk with THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis after eating pizza, garlic bread and sandwiches at a Wisconsin restaurant, a new report explains.
The unusual incidents that occurred in October 2024 are listed in a new report published July 24 in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a regular publication published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The author of the report has partnered with Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC) and was rolling out last year, so Wisconsinite warned about mass addiction events.
The statement, named the restaurant at the time – the famous pizza at Yeti’s Pizza in Stoughton, Wisconsin – was quickly cooperated with the investigation and was determined to have unintentionally contaminated food with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Live Science contacted the famous Yeti pizza to comment on the new report, but did not respond by the time of publication.
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The statement urged people who purchased food from restaurants between October 22nd and October 24th, 2024 to throw away leftovers and monitor symptoms that exhibit THC exposure, including dizziness, increased blood pressure, heart rate, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, panic attacks, paranoia, hallucinations, hallucinations and short-term memory effects.
“Please note that each person’s response may differ. The concentration of THC in a pizza may vary from one piece to another,” the statement said. The department later releases additional information on social media and its blogs, and note that the rest of the restaurant’s grinders (submarine sandwiches), garlic breads and cheese breads will also be affected and must be thrown away.
The health department was first warned of the issue on October 24, when local emergency medical services reported that they had transported seven people with similar symptoms to the hospital in the last two days, and that they all were eating food from the same restaurant. Patient symptoms included dizziness, drowsiness and anxiety. This is a symptom that may suggest THC addiction.
Related: CBD reportedly was found in a non-cannabis plant
Emergency Services also tested carbon monoxide (CO) levels in the homes and restaurants of two affected people to see if CO poisoning could be the cause, but the tests returned to negative. Additionally, one of the affected individuals contacted the PHMDC from the emergency department after testing positive for THC “without intentionally consuming THC,” the report said.
PHMDC began an investigation and contacted the restaurant owner. The restaurant owner agreed to close immediately when testing began. The owner also notified the health department that the restaurant building has a shared industrial kitchen where other vendors provide food and products.
One of those companies included the most abundant forms of THC, the most abundant form of THC found in the state’s licensed vendors that prepare edibles containing THC derived from hemp, especially in the cannabis plant. Among the THC products were edible oils infused with psychoactive ingredients.
On October 22, it was discovered that the restaurant had run out of cooking oil and was preparing the dough using oil from the building’s shared kitchen.
“The owner initially thought the oil was plain canola oil, but later realized that it could have been injected with THC,” the report states. “We tested the oil from a large labeled storage container in the same area where the owner found the oil used, tested positive for THC.”
Ultimately, the restaurant’s customers were unintentionally exposed to THC and it was determined that criminal charges were not pursued, the report added. The restaurant reopened on October 26th after being cleaned and sanitized for each Wisconsin food code.
Through further investigation, the health department identified 85 people who were drunk after eating food from the restaurant. Their age ranged from 1 to 91 years, including eight children under the age of 18 and teenagers.
Individuals began to experience symptoms within 1-4 hours of consuming pizza, garlic bread, cheese bread, or restaurant sandwiches. Fifteen people tested positive for THC. For the other 70 people, the THC test was not performed or results were unavailable.
Thirty-three affected people consulted healthcare providers, primarily in the hospital’s emergency department, with three people admitted at least one night. None of the children or teens were hospitalized. (Even relatively low doses of THC can be at risk for serious side effects, such as dangerous hypotension, coma, respiratory depression, and seizures, but these symptoms did not occur in this case.)
“Respondents were asked by the restaurant to provide the names of other people who became ill after eating food. Eight additional people who became ill after eating at the restaurant were identified, but none of them completed the survey,” the report states. This brings the total to 93, assuming that the eight additional people meet the criteria for THC addiction.
“Co-residentialization of food facilities and companies that manufacture THC-injected products increases the risk that THC-containing ingredients will be intentionally or intentionally added to food,” the report concluded. “Regulations regarding practices such as standards for materials containing THC, clear labeling and locked storage can reduce the risk of unintended THC exposure in licensed food businesses.”
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice.
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