CDC confirms at least 85 people experienced THC sickness from pizza place in Wisconsin
According to the report, at least 85 individuals, ranging from 1 to 91 years old, consumed food from the pizza shop in Stoughton, Wisconsin, between Oct. 22 and 24. The CDC said that the restaurant was in a building with a shared kitchen utilized by a state-licensed edible THC vendor.
Initial reports came as emergency medical services in the area reported to Public Health Madison and Dane County (PHMDC) that seven people had been taken to local hospitals for symptoms such as dizziness, sleepiness and anxiety. Each individual reported eating from the same local restaurant.
The seven individuals were treated at a Stoughton hospital with THC intoxication symptoms. One person who had eaten pizza from the same place reported that they had a positive THC test result without knowingly consuming any, prompting an outbreak investigation.
The restaurant closed immediately on Oct. 24, confirming to PHMDC about the THC vendor in the shared kitchen. According to the CDC report, the restaurant owner confirmed that they ran out of cooking oil on Oct. 22, using some from the shared kitchen to prepare dough.
Further investigation revealed that the oil used tested positive for THC, as the restaurant mistakenly used THC-infused oil from the cooperative kitchen to prepare dough. No criminal charges were filed as police deemed the contamination to be unintentional.
The restaurant reopened on Oct. 26 after deep cleaning and sanitation procedures approved by the Wisconsin Food Code.
The CDC report stated the following, '85 persons who responded to a health department questionnaire reported symptoms consistent with THC intoxication that occurred within 5 hours after eating food from a pizza restaurant.'
The restaurant apologized for the incident after initial reports from October 2024.
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