Dozens of people in Wisconsin have been sickened and at least five needed emergency medical services after inadvertently eating pizza tainted with Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive compound in cannabis, officials of Public Health Madison & Dane County reported late Friday.
The contamination, which health officials called "unintentional," occurred at Famous Yeti’s Pizza in Stoughton between October 22 and October 24. In a news release, the local health department advised customers to throw away any pizza they had from the restaurant during that time period.
"We want to be sure anyone who has this pizza on hand throws it away so they don't get sick," Bonnie Armstrong, director of Environmental Health at Public Health Madison & Dane County, said in the release. "If you ate the pizza and are experiencing THC-related symptoms, please contact your health care provider or call 911 if your symptoms worsen."
Illness investigation
It's unclear exactly how many people have been sickened, as well as if any of them were children and if any of the illnesses were severe. Ars is in touch with the health department's officials, and when they're able to send more information about their investigation, we will update this story.
Over the weekend, the department provided an update in a blog, saying that it had received "dozens" of reports of illnesses and was still collecting information. The update also suggested that children could have been sickened. "People of all ages eat pizza, including children and people with certain medical issues who could become very sick from THC poisoning," the department noted.
The health department learned of the contamination after EMS in the area transported five people with similar symptoms, all of whom reported eating at Famous Yeti’s Pizza. Stoughton Fire and EMS initially thought the illnesses were due to carbon monoxide poisoning, and the restaurant was checked for the poisonous gas.
However, investigators then suspected a foodborne outbreak and traced the source to the oil used to make the pizza's dough. The health department noted that Famous Yeti's "operates in a building that also has a shared industrial kitchen where many businesses make food and other products," some of which contain THC and another cannabis compound, cannabidiol (CBD).
In a statement on its website, Yeti's co-owner Cale Ryan said that police testing "confirmed that pizza had been sold with dough mistakenly prepared with Delta-9-contaminated oil. The oil accidentally used in the product originated from a shared storage space in the on-site cooperative commercial kitchen."
Oil jug with no label
Over the weekend, Ryan explained further to the Wisconsin State Journal that when Famous Yeti’s ran out of olive oil for its pizza dough, one of the cooks went across the hall to borrow some. "It’s not normal to do, but you borrow a cup of sugar from a neighbor," Ryan said. "We went over to borrow some oil and grabbed the wrong one." The contamination affected one batch of dough, which makes 60 pizzas, he said.
According to the health department, the oil the cook took "was in a clear plastic jug that looks like other cooking oils. There was a label on the cap that had manufacturer’s information, use by date, and noted it contained Delta-9 cannabis. The operator did not notice the label on the cap. There was no additional labeling on the body of the bottle." The health department said it doesn't know what dosages ended up in the pizza.
THC exposure can cause dizziness, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, panic attacks, paranoia, hallucinations, short-term memory impacts, time distortion, and sleepiness. "Keep in mind each person’s reaction may be different, and the concentration of THC in the pizza can vary by piece," the health department cautioned.
In a letter posted to Facebook Friday, Ryan apologized and took full responsibility for the contamination. "We put people and families at risk and frightened and confused children and parents. ... I am incredibly sorry that I allowed us to act this irresponsibly and ended up hurting the people who have made Yetis [sic] the wonderful place it has been."
According to America's Poison Centers, cannabis edible exposures have been increasing among children and teens since at least 2019. Much like what happened at Yeti's, the trend in accidental poisonings can be blamed on poor labeling and cannabis products that resemble common foods, including candies. To date, Poison Centers have tracked nearly 7,000 exposures in children this year. "While edible cannabis does not typically result in serious problems for adults, children have more severe reactions and are more likely to require medical attention" the poison centers say. In children, severe reactions to cannabis can include slowed breathing, seizure, and coma.
