Latest news with #FamousYeti'sPizza
USA Today
31-07-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Pizza restaurant serves marijuana-tainted food to unwitting customers
Critics of legal marijuana have long argued that manufacturers deliberately and dangerously blur the lines, offering pot-laced cookies and candy. Health authorities say at least 85 people, including eight children, suffered accidental marijuana intoxication after eating pizza, sandwiches and garlic bread from a Wisconsin restaurant. Seven of them were rushed to the local hospital with symptoms ranging from dizziness to anxiety. None of them knew they were consuming pot, and investigators, after checking for carbon monoxide exposure, tracked down the source to an unexpected culprit. Authorities with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the problems began when cooks at Famous Yeti's Pizza in a suburb of Madison, Wisconsin, ran out of canola oil last October. Instead of buying more oil, the restaurant workers grabbed cooking oil from a shared commissary area also used by a company that makes marijuana edibles, officials said. "The owner initially thought the oil was plain canola oil but later realized it might have been infused with THC," federal health officials concluded. Marijuana is illegal in Wisconsin, but the edibles company was extracting and concentrating the delta-9 THC compound from hemp, investigators said. Hemp is a low-THC version of marijuana, and thus legal in Wisconsin, even though both marijuana and hemp come from cannabis plants. "Regulations regarding practices such as standard, clear labeling and locked storage for ingredients containing THC might decrease the risk for unintentional THC exposure at licensed food businesses," the CDC concluded. Other recent mix-ups The Famous Yetis incident is among the latest examples of people potentially consuming intoxicating products sold as something else. On July 29, the FDA announced a recall by the California-based High Noon seltzer company after it discovered workers had inadvertently packaged alcoholic seltzer in energy drink cans. Last year, the parents of a two-year-old said workers at a Japanese restaurant accidentally served their toddler cooking wine mislabeled as apple juice. Critics of legal marijuana have long argued that manufacturers deliberately blur the lines with pot-infused products resembling normal cookies or candies, and many states that have legalized marijuana have strict rules intended to prevent such mixups. Emergency-room doctors have reported a significant increase in the number of patients they've treated as marijuana legalization has spread across the country, but acknowledge alcohol still drives far more emergency hospitalizations and injuries. The CDC says more than 2,100 Americans die annually from alcohol poisoning, and about 178,000 people nationally die as a result of excessive alcohol use.
Arab Times
26-07-2025
- Health
- Arab Times
Popular eatery unintentionally drugged patrons with THC-laced pizza
NEW YORK, July 26: Health officials have revealed that a popular Wisconsin eatery, Famous Yeti's Pizza, accidentally served pizzas laced with THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana, leading to the intoxication of 85 customers over a two-day period last October. According to a newly released report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the incident occurred between October 22 and 24, 2024, when the restaurant in Stoughton unknowingly used cooking oil contaminated with hemp-derived THC. The oil had been borrowed from a shared kitchen space within the same building after the restaurant ran out of its own supply. Emergency medical services alerted the local public health department after transporting seven individuals to the hospital exhibiting symptoms of THC intoxication, including dizziness, anxiety, hallucinations, and paranoia. Patients, aged between 1 and 91, reported having eaten at Famous Yeti's Pizza prior to falling ill. One patient likened their experience to consuming a THC-infused edible. All later tested positive for the drug. Further investigation revealed that the contaminated oil was originally used by another vendor in the shared kitchen to produce edible cannabis products. The only indication that the oil contained THC was a label on the cap, which the restaurant's operator acknowledged seeing, according to health officials. In addition to the hospitalized individuals, 78 other patrons responded to a health department questionnaire, reporting at least one symptom of THC exposure within five hours of dining at the establishment. Complaints ranged from dizziness and nausea to elevated heart rate, vomiting, sleepiness, and panic attacks. Fortunately, all 85 affected individuals made full recoveries without complications. The restaurant, which has been a staple in the community for over 12 years, publicly addressed the incident via a Facebook post. Owner Cale Ryan expressed deep remorse, writing, 'We made a horrendous mistake… We put people and families at risk and frightened and confused children and parents.' Stoughton police conducted a thorough investigation and concluded that the contamination was unintentional. As a result, no criminal charges were filed. Famous Yeti's Pizza reopened on October 26 after undergoing cleaning and sanitization in accordance with the Wisconsin Food Code. More than six months later, the restaurant remains open and continues to be a popular dining destination in the area. In response to the incident, the CDC issued a reminder urging restaurants to ensure that ingredients containing THC are clearly labeled and securely stored to prevent similar accidents in the future.
