A bizarre public health calamity befell Wisconsin residents in the sleepy town of Stoughton after dozens were sickened from THC contaminated pizza and seven were hospitalized.
Seven customers at Famous Yeti’s Pizza were hospitalized and reported symptoms including dizziness, sleepiness and anxiety. Health officials believed something was amiss when one person tested positive for THC despite stating that they did not knowingly consume cannabis.
The issue was brought on in October when Yeti’s ran out of cooking oil and instead used what employees believed was canola oil from the kitchen. After multiple customers reported getting sick, health authorities tested pans used to cook the pizza and found the oil was infused with THC.
Police reportedly did not press charges after an investigation indicated that the incident was unintentional, though local health authorities advised anyone who recently purchased Yeti’s to throw it away to avoid getting sick. (RELATED: A Wisconsin Federal Court Didn’t Prosecute A Criminal Marijuana Case For 3 Years)
“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 & Dane County. “If you ate the pizza and are experiencing THC-related symptoms, please contact your health care provider or call 911 if your symptoms worsen.”
Famous Yeti’s addressed the situation on social media, calling it a “horrendous mistake” and assuring customers that protocols will be put in place to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
“We want to assure you that all affected products have been destroyed,” it said at the time. “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.” (RELATED: Inside Congressman Tim Burchett’s Unexpected Social Media Success)