Diners at a Wisconsin-based pizza shop reportedly got high after eating a pie contaminated with THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
Famous Yeti’s Pizza in Stoughton, Wisc., issued an apology after discovering that their pizzas had been accidentally contaminated with THC oil between Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 4:30 p.m. and Thursday, Oct. 24, at 12:00 p.m., according to a post from the restaurant’s Facebook account.
“After receiving reports from staff, Yeti’s owner and employees of unexplained physical reactions, we underwent an investigation with the Stoughton Police and the local health officials,” read the post from Thursday. “Today it was 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.”
Delta-9 is a cannabinoid found in Cannabis sativa, which is the active THC ingredient responsible for the high.
Cale Ryan, owner of Famous Yeti’s Pizza, told Wisconsin’s WMTV that “60 contaminated pizzas were unknowingly served.”
The public health department of Madison and Dane County issued a statement after multiple people went to the town’s emergency medical services who had eaten at the same restaurant.
“The oil in a container used to make the pizza tested positive for THC,” according to a statement from the public health department. “Famous Yeti’s Pizza operates in a building that also has a shared industrial kitchen where many businesses make food and other products. Public Health sanitarians are currently investigating the space in conjunction with Stoughton Police and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. The owner of Famous Yeti’s Pizza is cooperating with the investigation.”
An operator reportedly went to grab oil from a shared kitchen in a different area after running out. The agency reports that “the oil he 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.”
Public health officials have urged customers to throw out any pizza from Famous Yeti’s bought during this time frame.
“We want to be sure anyone who has this pizza on hand throws it away so they don’t get sick,” said Bonnie Armstrong, director of environmental health at Public Health Madison and Dane County, in the statement. “If you ate the pizza and are experiencing THC-related symptoms, please contact your health care provider or call 911 if your symptoms worsen.”
Symptoms may vary depending on the concentration consumed and the person, especially because the strength of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC in food is hard to measure, according to the CDC. Still, common indicators of consuming high concentrations of THC include dizziness, anxiety, paranoia, an increased heart rate, and increased blood pressure.
If you ate at the restaurant and experienced symptoms, authorities urge you to fill out this questionnaire.
“We want to assure you that all affected products have been destroyed,” the restaurant said online. “Famous Yeti’s is working closely with local authorities to improve our storage and security protocols to prevent this from happening again and to guarantee the safety of our customers.”
