Pubdate: Sat, 19 Apr 2014
Source: Times-Tribune, The (Scranton PA)
Page: 5
Copyright: 2014 Townnews.com
Contact:  http://www.thetimes-tribune.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4440
Author: Sadie Gurman, Associated Press

DEATHS STOKE WORRIES ABOUT POT EDIBLES

DENVER (AP) - A college student eats more than the recommended dose of
a marij uana-l aced 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," said Al Bronstein,
medical director of the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center.

Studies are mixed about whether there is any link between marijuana
and violence. Still, pot legalization opponents said the deaths are a
sign of future dangers.

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.

An autopsy report listed marijuana intoxication as a significant
contributing factor in the death of 19-year-old Levy Thamba Pongi.

Authorities said Mr. Pongi, who traveled from Wyoming to Denver with
friends to try marijuana, ate six times more than the amount
recommended by a seller. In the moments before his death, he spoke
erratically and threw things around his hotel room.

Toxicologists later found that the cookie Pongi ate contained as much
THC - marijuana's intoxicating chemical - as six high-quality joints.

Less is known about Richard Kirk, 47, who was charged in Denver with
shooting his 44-year-old wife to death while she was on the phone with
a 911 dispatcher. Police said his wife reported that her husband had
consumed marijuana-laced candy, but no information has been released
about potency.

The public defender's office has declined comment on the allegations
against Mr. Kirk.

Although millions of Americans have used pot without becoming violent,
Mr. Bronstein said such behavior is possible depending on the type of
hallucinations a user experiences. Toxicologists say genetic makeup,
health issues and other factors also can make a difference.

"With these products, everybody is inexperienced," Bronstein said
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