A pizza shop was forced to issue an apology to its customers after inadvertently getting them high due to a mix-up in the kitchen.
A chef at Famous Yeti’s Pizza in Wisconsin, USA, mistakenly used cannabis oil instead of regular cooking oil, resulting in THC-contaminated pizzas.
Health officials have warned that pizzas purchased from the establishment between Tuesday and Thursday may have been unintentionally laced with the drug, following five customers requiring emergency services.
The restaurant released a statement on social media, expressing: “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or harm caused.”
Initially, Stoughton Fire and EMS responders suspected carbon monoxide exposure as the cause of the symptoms.
However, a hospitalised patient described the sensation as akin to “similar to eating a THC edible”. Subsequent tests confirmed the presence of THC.
According to Public Health Madison & Dane County, a staff member at the pizzeria, having run out of oil, unknowingly used a jug from the shared kitchen labelled as containing Delta-9 cannabis derived from legal hemp. This was used to prepare a batch of pizza dough.
Following an inspection by sanitation officers and Stoughton Police, a container holding the oil tested positive for THC.
Cale Ryan, proprietor of Famous Yeti’s Pizza, admitted that the wrong oil had been “mistakenly used from a cooperative commercial kitchen to prepare a batch of dough”.
He further revealed that between Oct 22-24: “Sixty contaminated pizzas were unknowingly served. The commercial kitchen supports multiple small food entrepreneurs, including a business that creates products containing Delta-9.”
Ingesting THC can lead to symptoms such as dizziness, increased blood pressure, vomiting, nausea, anxiety and hallucinations.
“We don’t know the dosage in the pizza and so reactions for some could be quite strong or unpleasant”, warned the local health department.
Stoughton Police Chief Dan Jenks informed Wisconsin Public Radio that the investigation was still underway but there “doesn’t appear to be any malfeasance or anything criminal at this point.”
Bonnie Armstrong, director of environmental health at Public Health Madison & Dane County, urged: “We want to be sure anyone who has this pizza on hand throws it away so they don’t get sick.
“If you ate the pizza and are experiencing THC-related symptoms, please contact your health care provider or call 911 if your symptoms worsen.”
