Wisconsin pizzeria sorry for selling pizzas laced with THC

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A pizza shop in Wisconsin shocked patrons when it apologized for inadvertently selling pizzas containing THC, the primary psychoactive component in cannabis. They figured it out when customers reported feeling odd after eating slices of their pie.

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“This is incredibly serious to us and we can’t imagine anything worse than betraying the faith that our customers have in us to provide a product made with utmost care and concern,” Famous Yeti’s Pizza co-owner Cale Ryan said in a statement posted to Facebook on Oct. 25. “If we lost your faith in us and we never get to serve you again, I completely understand.”

Here’s what we know about the incident, and why eating THC in pizza may cause stronger psychoactive effects than consuming cannabis in some other ways.

Dough used in about 70 orders was prepared with THC-contaminated oil

Oil containing THC was in a storage space in the cooperative commercial kitchen that the shop shares with other vendors, according to a statement on Famous Yeti’s website. Ryan told The Washington Post he knew there was a vendor in the space who made THC-infused brownies, but when reports of unexplained reactions to the food started coming in, his mind didn’t jump to THC. Recreational cannabis use is not legal in Wisconsin.

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Ryan initially thought some of the vegetable toppings, possibly the spinach, had been contaminated or gone bad. The fire department even checked the building, located in Stoughton, Wisconsin, for a carbon monoxide leak, concerned that some patrons’ symptoms were consistent with CO exposure.

The restaurant eventually linked the incident to the THC oil, which was used in 71 orders on Oct. 22 and 23.

Eating THC in pizza and other fatty foods makes effects stronger, experts say

Eating cannabis raw is unlikely to get you high, said Darin Erickson, the associate director of research at the University of Minnesota’s Cannabis Research Center, because the compounds in it are activated during cooking or smoking. People who make edibles infuse cannabis into some kind of fat — in this case, oil — and then use that fat to make other kinds of food.

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The high you get from weed that’s eaten instead of smoked can also be different, Erickson said, because cannabis is metabolized differently in the gut. The timing is different, too. Smokers and vapers feel the effects of cannabis within 5 to 10 minutes, while it can take around an hour for those who use edibles. It can be even faster if someone is eating high-fat foods.

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Fats increase the absorption of cannabinoids, based on preclinical research in rats, said Tory Spindle, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

“This increased absorption means that a person would feel stronger effects than if the THC was suspended in something that was not fatty,” he said.

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It is the reverse of the relationship between eating and drinking alcohol.

“The interactions between food and cannabis is actually the opposite of food and alcohol,” Spindle said. “Which many people don’t realize.”

Delta-9-THC, which was in the oil, can stay in the system for about 30 days

Delta-9-THC is the substance in cannabis that gets users high. Delta-9 and THC are synonyms, Spindle said.

How long THC stays in users’ systems depends on how frequently they consume the substance and how concentrated the chemical is, but urine tests can generally detect it for about 30 days. Hair tests are even more sensitive, and can detect cannabis use for up to 90 days.

Effects of the drug range from relaxation to panic

The effect THC has on someone depends on the concentration of the drug and other factors, including the person’s tolerance and age. It’s a mood-altering substance, and some people find it relaxing while others experience anxiety or panic when they use it, experts said.

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“It can have both stimulating but also depressing effects,” Erickson said. “Cannabis is sort of weird in that way, not everybody’s experience is quite the same.”

THC is very different from CBD

The cannabis plant contains hundreds of different chemicals; the most commonly known cannabinoids are THC and CBD. THC produces a high, while CBD does not but is thought to have some medicinal qualities. CBD is also legal in most states, while recreational THC is not.

The pizzeria did deep cleaning and is improving its food storage

The pizzeria said it is working with authorities to improve storage and security protocols and prevent future issues.

The shop closed Friday to deep clean and get rid of any other potentially contaminated ingredients, Ryan said, and he and his wife are offering financial support for customers who incurred medical bills because of the mistake.

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