Pubdate: Sat, 19 Apr 2014
Source: Republican & Herald (PA)
Copyright: 2014 Associated Press
Contact:  http://republicanherald.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1047
Author: Sadie Gurman, Associated Press

COLORADO DEATHS STOKE WORRIES ABOUT EDIBLES WITH MARIJUANA

Cookies, Candy Can Be More Potent Than Smoking Pot

DENVER (AP) - A college student eats more than the recommended dose 
of a marijuana-laced cookie and jumps to his death from a hotel 
balcony. A husband with no history of violence is accused of shooting 
his wife in the head, possibly after eating pot-infused candy.

The two recent deaths have stoked concerns about Colorado's 
recreational marijuana industry and the effects of the drug, 
especially since cookies, candy and other pot edibles can be 
exponentially more potent than a joint.

"We're seeing hallucinations, they become sick to their stomachs, 
they throw up, they become dizzy and very anxious," Al Bronstein, 
medical director of the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, said.

Twenty-six people have reported poisonings from marijuana edibles 
this year, when the center started tracking such exposures. Six were 
children who swallowed innocent-looking edibles, most of which were 
in plain sight.

Five of those kids were sent to emergency rooms, and two to hospitals 
for intensive care, Bronstein said. Children were nauseous and 
sleepy, and doctors worried about their respiratory systems shutting down.

Supporters of the pot law and some experts counter that alcohol 
causes far more problems among users, and the issues with pot can be 
largely addressed through better regulations.

The deaths occurred as Colorado lawmakers are scrambling to create 
safety regulations for the largely unmonitored marijuana snacks. On 
Thursday, the Legislature advanced a package of bills that would 
lower the amount of THC that could be permitted in a serving of food 
and require more extensive warning labels.

"It really is time for regulators, and the industry, to look at how 
do we move forward more responsibly with edible products," Brian 
Vicente, who helped lead the state's legalization campaign, said.

Authorities have not formally linked the shooting death of Kristine 
Kirk, 44, to consumption of marijuana by her husband. However, in the 
case of Wyoming college student Levy Thamba Pongi, 19, an autopsy 
report listed marijuana intoxication as a significant contributing 
factor in his death.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom