The CDC warns of “mass THC intoxication events via food”

ProCon debate: Should recreational marijuana be legal?

ProCon issue in the news: In a July 24, 2025, report the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned health care providers to “be alert to the possibility of mass THC intoxication events via food.”

The warning comes after an October 22–24, 2024, event in which at least 85 people reported tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) intoxication symptoms after eating pizza, garlic bread, cheese bread, or grinder sandwiches from Famous Yeti’s Pizza in Stoughton, Wisconsin. The patients, who ranged in age from 1 to 91 years old, reported dizziness, sleepiness, and anxiety, among other symptoms. At least seven of the patients were seen by local emergency medical services, which triggered the report to and investigation by Public Health Madison & Dane County.

After the investigation, it was discovered that the restaurant had run out of cooking oil on October 22 and had used what was thought to be canola oil taken from a shared commercial kitchen to prepare pizza and bread dough. Unbeknownst to the cooks and restaurant patrons, the oil contained hemp-derived delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive compound in both hemp and cannabis. The oil was made by a state-licensed vendor that shares a kitchen with Famous Yeti’s Pizza. Local police determined that the restaurant did not knowingly provide THC-contaminated food to customers, and no charges were filed.

In an October 24 Facebook post, Famous Yeti’s Pizza apologized for the event and promised better storage and security protocols. Most customers commenting were understanding, even cracking jokes about the incident, but some expressed concern for the kids who might have eaten the dough.

The CDC report recommends:

Clinicians and public health practitioners should be alert to the possibility of mass THC intoxication events via food. Health care providers, public health professionals, and emergency responders should consider THC intoxication in persons with sudden onset of symptoms such as dizziness, sleepiness, anxiety, altered reality perception, increased heart rate, nausea, or other symptoms of THC ingestion.

Although hemp and cannabis are varieties of the same species, they have differing legality in the United States, and the shared THC component means that the CDC warning applies to both. Recreational, or adult-use, marijuana is not legal in Wisconsin, but it is legal in 24 states and Washington, D.C.

Discussion questions

1. Should THC products, whether derived from hemp or marijuana, be legal? Why or why not?
2. What precautions should a business take to protect customers if THC products are on the premises? Explain your answer.
3. Should recreational or medical marijuana be legal? And which level of government (state or federal) should determine the legality? Explain your answers.

Sources

• Famous Yeti’s Pizza (October 24, 2024), facebook.com
• Amanda Kita-Yarbro et al., “Tetrahydrocannabinol Intoxication from Food at a Restaurant—Wisconsin, October 2024” (July 24, 2025), cdc.gov
• Alexandra E. Petri, “C.D.C. Ties 85 Cases of THC-Related Symptoms to Wisconsin Restaurant” (July 28, 2025), nytimes.com