Writer Who Accidentally Got High Blames Cannabis Candy Maker

Don't consumers of marijuana edibles have a responsibility to be careful?

GFarmaLabs

Gale Curcio, a freelance writer in Alexandria, Virginia, inadvertently took a bite of a cannabis-infused candy bar and got really dizzy. Who is to blame for this mishap?

A. Curcio's 26-year-old son, who left the candy bar on the kitchen counter.

B. Curcio, who ate the candy without looking at the wrapper, which identified it as "medical cannabis chocolate" containing 210 milligrams of THC. The wrapper also had a notice on the front that said "WARNING: MEDICAL CANNABIS CHOCOLATE" and another on the back that said, "Warning: This product contains a high level of THC. Not a food. Keep away from children."

C. GFarmaLabs, the California company that made the candy bar.

Curcio, who relates the incident as the centerpiece of a Washington Post article about the perils of commercially produced marijuana edibles, favors C. I lean toward a combination of A and B. Curcio's son, who got the candy bar from "a friend of a friend of a friend [who] had brought it from California, where medical marijuana is legal," obviously was careless, so most of the responsibility lies with him. But Curcio says she "thr[ew] away a wrapper before I came across that piece of candy," which makes it unclear whether the chocolate was wrapped when she encountered it. "Even with the wrapper," she insists, "it would be easy to overlook the fact that this was no normal candy bar." If only there had been a fourth warning…

As I have said before, edibles can be tricky, so consumers should be careful with them. Manufacturers are adjusting to newly legal recreational markets by offering low-dose products and instructions aimed at infrequent users. But in this case, the problem was that Curcio (unlike Maureen Dowd) did not realize what she was eating, which made her symptoms especially scary but cannot fairly be blamed on the manufacturer. Even if the chocolate itself had been stamped with cannabis leaves, Curcio still might not have noticed as she absentmindedly ate the absentmindedly abandoned candy. At some point consumers (in this case, mainly Curcio's son) need to take responsibility for what they do with psychoactive products.

Comments

[Doctor Whom]

D. The one that makes it easiest to abdicate responsibility for our own actions.

E. The one with the deepest pockets.

F. The one most likely to arouse the ire of the low-information outrage machine.

[Doctor Whom]

P.S. Sorry to go all Four Yorkshiremen on you, but when I was a child, small children were expected to exercise more personal responsibility.

[Sevo]

"but when I was a child, small children were expected to exercise more personal responsibility."

I seem to remember the question:
"Are you going to put everything in your mouth?!"

[John Titor]

My childhood: Don't put it in your mouth, you stupid fuck!

[Derpetologist]

LUXURY!

[Paul.]

"Warning: This product contains a high level of THC. Not a food. Keep away from children."

A: Curcio's son, who failed to keep the chocolate away from children.

What do I win?

[GR8IPAZ]

This could actually be an excellent way to thin the herd if done correctly. Think of the savings to the social security trust fund.

[Zeb]

In any case, it's not like accidentally getting stoned once does any damage. Unless you have a drug test coming up or really need to be awake for the next 12 hours for some reason.

[HeteroPatriarch]

Well, if you have a concussion and you're stupid enough to believe that you have to stay awake for 12 hours or your brain will start bleeding or something then it could be a problem. And I assume this guy hits his head a lot and believes anything anyone tells him...

[Paul.]

"Even with the wrapper," she insists, "it would be easy to overlook the fact that this was no normal candy bar." If only there had been a fourth warning...

Soooo. progressives, what say you, warning labels either work or they don't work? Which is it? Choose carefully.

[sarcasmic]

The warning labels weren't like big enough. Duh. You should like have to like search for the label among the skulls and crossbones and stuff. Duh. And, like, duh and stuff. You know?

[Paul.]

At some point consumers (in this case, mainly Curcio's son) need to take responsibility for what they do with psychoactive products.

You guys do realize that we're witnessing, first hand, how this shit starts, right? This is the glint-in-the-milkman's-eye right here.

[Derpetologist]

I tried weed for the first time in Colorado a few months ago. I ate a candy bar and had one of those drinks. I ingested 100 mg of THC in about 2 hours.
I recall feeling relaxed, having tingly sensations, and just feeling good in general. The only bad parts were a little anxiety when I was coming down and super red puffy eyes the next day. I didn't even get the munchies. All this from a guy who lived as a straight-laced Mormon for 21 years.

Maureen Dowd and the joker in this article are just panicky idiots. The end.

[Derpetologist]

I should add that it was super easy to find a shop. I took the first downtown exit in Denver and then I drove for about 5 minutes until I saw a sign.

[HeteroPatriarch]

Sssshhhhh. The feds haven't found them yet.

[Tman]

Can we revisit that whole Maureen Dowd episode again? God that shit was hilarious.

I strained to remember where I was or even what I was wearing, touching my green corduroy jeans and staring at the exposed-brick wall. As my paranoia deepened, I became convinced that I had died and no one was telling me.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06......html?_r=1

Ah that's some quality rhetoric right there. Mmhmm.

[Derpetologist]

Was she about to put a baby in a microwave before a wise, old hippy stopped her?

I was high as Pioneer 10, and all I did was lie comfortably on my bed and watch Futurama.

[Tman]

Maureen is incapable of writing a piece without going overboard in rhetorical flourishes.

I would have been disappointed if it was any less over-the-top. The green corduroy jeans was the perfect touch.

[Derpetologist]

Yeah, she was so out of it she remembers exactly what she was wearing.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

D. Who fucking cares?

Um...yeah...I accidentally got drunk by drinking out of the big green bottle. Didn't notice it was labeled GIN!

[Doctor Whom]

Then we should ban alcohol! For the stupid freelance writers and columnists children! I'll bet I'm the first person to think of this and that nothing could possibly go wrong.

[Derpetologist]

If only the weed candy had been sealed in a childproof envelop, like the one I had to put my weed candy in when I bought it.

[Tommy_Grand]

I saw a beaker full of some clear liquid. I did not know who put it there. I did not know what it might be. Curious, I chugged it down without a second thought...

If anything bad happens, I will blame greedy chemical corporationz

#dumblivesmatter

[Suthenboy]

Goddammit Tommy, I wondered what happened to my lye solution for soap making.

[Tommy_Grand]

Was it my conscious self who drank, or was it Tyler Durden?

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Was she given said candy or is she also guilty of theft as well as stupidity?

[BuSab Agent]

Theft. Fucking people who take other people's food without asking get what they deserve! She's lucky it was only a marijuana edible.

[sarcasmic]

"Mmmmm! This jerky tastes like almonds! That's good!"

"Yeah. It's soaked in cyanide. For the neighbor's dog."

[antisocial-ist]

I once tricked a friend into eating a novelty Christmas ornament made out of animal shit by telling him it was a chocolate animal cracker. I'd feel worse about it, but he did snatch it out of my hand.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I blame the guy who enticed Gale into to get into the back of his van and take the candy without considering the consequences.

[Bardas Phocas]

D. Bush
E. The Koch Brothers
F. Libertarians

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Remember when "liberals" embraced legalized dope? Back before they discovered statism.

[Suthenboy]

The people who call themselves liberals now are not liberals. They are totalitarians who have co-opted the label and dress up their evil in good intentions.

[Suthenboy]

Oh. I missed the scare quotes.

My apologies.

[Zeb]

Self identified liberals are still the largest base of support for legalization. It's just that for some reason they elect very few people who are.

[Hyperion]

All of the above?

[sarcasmic]

I certainly wouldn't want my five year old to find one of those on the counter.

Then again it's not something I'd leave on my... what was I talking about?

Oh yeah.

Don't leave your drugs out. Duh.

And glance at the label before you put something in your mouth.

[Warren's Strapon]

Yeah. I could kind of get her point if the label said "Hershey's" or "Dove" or something. But "Liquid Gold? I've never heard of that. It looks like a chocolate bar. Let me shove it in my mouth" isn't much of an excuse.

[Derpetologist]

And so we see once more that progs are not really against the War on Politically Incorrect Chemicals.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Okay, which one of you sons of bitches is the Washington Post registered user youbettercallsaul? That dude is ripping her a new a-hole in the comments?

and when she has a headache, she just reaches in the cabinet and pops any old pill

[Derpetologist]

Won't somebody please think of the children morons?!

[sarcasmic]

nice

[Ken Shultz]

"But Curcio says she "thr[ew] away a wrapper before I came across that piece of candy," which makes it unclear whether the chocolate was wrapped when she encountered it."

If it was unwrapped, then it's pure comedy.

Picking up something unwrapped and eating it just because it was sitting on the counter is like one step above George Costanza eating something out of the garbage.

[Derpetologist]

BUT IT WAS ON TOP!

[sarcasmic]

You at least ask "Hey! What is this shit?"

[Ken Shultz]

That candy bar on the counter? Yeah, the dog was sucking on it, so I took it away from him.

You didn't eat that thing, did you?

[Vulgar Madman]

When my dad was a kid, a bully at school, was always taking his lunch. So one day he put a Hershey's wrapper around a bar, of chocolate ex-lax. He got beat up later, but said it was worth it.

[optimusratiostultum]

XY&Z Gale Curcio for taking someone else's food, for inhaling any random object without determining what it was like a toddler with Pica, and Gale Curcio for not kicking her deadbeat 26 year old out when he obviously has the money to waste on weed.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

I'll bet her son, giggled his ass off.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Mom ate my stash...

*tries to keep a straight face*

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[BuSab Agent]

My mom used to eat my food all the time (she's a fat cow with no self control) until I learned the trick of coating everything in Sriracha.

[Agile Cyborg]

The despondent gods of pleasure and orgasm that existed for eons wanted to be loved by the pleasure-hating homo sapien. So they mined the universe and uncovered chili peppers and vinegar and commenced to the saucification of said ingredients adding dashes of sweet and savory delights. Every pot was infused with the jizz of these pleasure gods and the ultimate explosion for eggs and a myriad of foods was born and home sapiens hither and yon danced merrily in the red oozing god jizzms and the cute bottle with the rooster on it (I own a sriracha shirt by the way- fucking chile pepper geek this whore).

Unfortunately, no one remembers the pedigree of these despondent gods of pleasure and orgasm but they do remember fucking Sriracha, nigs. Google can suck my chili pepper for not helping me to spell fucking Sriracha right. SRIRACHA is NOT FUCKING SACCHARIN, Google whores.

Had to rely on the guy above. Which is ok. Fucking dudes around here are like a suitcase filled with cash. Kinda scary but way fucking cool.

[Copernicus]

For what it's worth, Sriracha is just south of Bangkok.

[Hyperion]

Children, please don't leave your drugs laying around where your moron parents might eat them.

[BuSab Agent]

Well, the son has precedent if he decides to poison the biddy for the insurance money. She now has a proven history of eating random unmarked objects.

[John Titor]

I'm sure he could save money by not buying poison and just leaving a trail of Reese's Pieces onto a busy road.

[BuSab Agent]

Hey! Think of the poor motorists. Do you know how hard it is to get village idiot out of your front bumper/grill?

[Agammamon]

Ooh! Piece of candy!

Ooh! Piece of candy!

Ooh! Piece of candy!

Ooh! Piece of candy!

Ooh! Piece of candy!

Ooh! Piece of candy!

Ooh! Piece of candy!

Ooh! Piece of candy!

[Agile Cyborg]

How does this fucking star nitwit pump his own goddamn gas or raise progeny? I get mishaps, but to write a twisted version that erases your own fucking responsibility makes me think this creeperzoid should be banned to a wheelchair pushed by jesus and the disciples.

[Irish]

Jewish woman expresses fear about being attacked for being Jewish in France, gets told by BBC anchor that she shouldn't complain because Israelis kill Palestinians.

You'll note that at no point does this French Jewish woman even mention Israel. Apparently the BBC anchor hears 'I am a scared Jew' and responds 'well, sure, but what have you done to influence Israeli policy lately, you Zionist fifth-columnist?'

[HeteroPatriarch]

I wasn't having a stroke, I was tripping.

Why do these people have such a compulsion to call attention to their stupidity?

[Irish]

In fairness, he was of normal intelligence before his brain was rotted by the demon ganja.

[Agile Cyborg]

Why does the dude stand on the corner with the sandwich board raising hell about the end of the fucking world, HP?

[Irish]

This reminds me of the time I left a switchblade lying on the ground then sued the knife company when a child stabbed himself.

[Agile Cyborg]

Swing sets and those spinning things are way fucking worse than switchblades, paddy. Leave that shit laying around and entire cities come to a total goddamn standstill in modern freest country on earth.

[Pinky]

Her story needs fact checking. It reeks of an opinion piece editorial written in the form of sensational first person narrative. Where have we seen that lately?

[adifferentken]

She says she took 'a' bite and 'spit most of it out'
Just how much THC could she really have ingested if that was the case, would it be enough to be tripping balls as she described?

[Pinky]

Have the police been notified?

[userve32]

Due that is not making a whole lot of sense.

http://www.Web-Privacy.tk

[patskelley]

The burning question...did it improve his writing?

[buybuydandavis]

"Warning: This product contains a high level of THC. Not a food. Keep away from children."

Obviously, it's the company's fault.

They said to keep away from children, not whiny, irresponsible, moronic adults.

[Suthenboy]

I got half way through the paragraph after the list of possible answers and stopped reading. I am calling bullshit, she is a liar.

Dear Gale-

Fuck you, you lying bitch. You can keep using the same scare tactics to try and incite moral panic that have been used for nearly a hundred years to ban pot and keep the drug war going but it isn't going to work. Too many people have casual experience with pot or know many people who use it and can see right through your bullshit. The drug war is a shameful war on the American people and it is going to come to an end.

Fuck you very much - Suthenboy

[F. Stupidity, Jr.]

Considering that chocolate is a part of my daily diet, I glanced out of the corner of my eye and saw what appeared to be a Hershey bar. It could have been a bunch of magnets or Ex-Lax or a pack of dominoes, but who has time to check? Hello, it might have been chocolate! If I stop to check, why, someone else might eat it!

It was a busy day: Not only did I have to spread Reefer Madness propaganda to a major media outlet, I had mention a church event I was a part of to establish my Decent Citizen bonafides.

"Oh my gosh, I've eaten a bar of furniture polish," said no one, ever, because that's not a thing. Since I'm clearly making shit up, just play along when I tell you that I apparently ate Marihuana candy.

When I asked my son how it got there, he said he didn't know but it wasn't his. Like that's going to fool me! I've watched COPS before. But I went easy on him; he's just a child of twenty-six.

I'm just glad what I ate wasn't furniture polish. What if I had eaten the whole thing?

[Old Man With Candy]

There are so many Ex-Lax stories waiting to be told...

[Vulgar Madman]

See above!

[Old Man With Candy]

I appreciate everyone's efforts.

[Eyedunno]

Edibles are the biggest danger as far as legalization goes. Not that they actually carry big health risks, but they endanger legalization itself. With edibles, you're going to have a lot of people who are jackasses and do no research getting way higher than they should and freaking out, and some of these people will be statist authoritarians.

Lots of idiots do not research the effects of oral consumption compared to smoking and vaporizers, and just assume it is the safest route of administration because it does not involve the lungs, when in actuality, dose control is difficult and it there's a long delay between administration and effects.

I'm not saying this is the case with this woman (because yeah, her son carries a lot of the blame), but people like that one Times reporter deserve ridicule, and we need to make it very clear that people need to go easy on edibles, as experienced pot smokers have known for decades.

[Careless]

The post I made on WaPo:

Ok, looking it up, one serving is 10.5 grams. A section of a Hershey bar, for size reference, is three. Assuming she took a bite half the size of one section of Hershey bar and spat 3/4 of it out, that's 1/8 of 3 grams, or .375 grams. .375/10.5=3.5%.

So that means she probably ingested less than 4% of one dose of THC, about 1.25 mg, which she is claiming had this effect on her. Looking it up, medical marijuana people suggest starting at 10 mg for new users., so she had 1/8 of a newbie dose.

I'm calling BS on this.

[mariuspacker]

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[Jim Dunning]

I must say, as I was reading Curcio's article, the movie When Harry Met Sally came to mind?and all I could think to say was, "I'll have what she's having."

[hotsypotsy]

Jacob, I read the interview with Curcio in the WP so I know the following statement to be misleading.

"...inadvertently took a bite of a cannabis-infused candy bar and got really dizzy."

She saw the chocolate on the counter and ate it. There wasn't anything "inadvertent" about it. She's an admitted chocoholic. Your statement..."and got really dizzy" implies this occurred shortly after eating the candy (most of which she spit out) which is not how edibles work in the body.

I personally found her account to be a little over dramatized, after the fact. While I'm sure the fact she didn't know what was happening and became paranoid which served to enhance her physical symptoms, this woman had one bite, most of which she spit out.

As far as blame goes, her actions, her results. Don't put something in your mouth if you aren't sure where it came from, just because it looks like chocolate. The son, if he did the leave the chocolate on the counter (seems no one is quite sure where it came from.....a friend of a friend of a friend......uh huh), is an adult in a house with two other adults who obviously know he uses pot since they all laughed about the incident (at first, anyway). What's he guilty of? Not sneaking around and not hiding his pot from Mommy?

[hotsypotsy]

Jacob, I read the interview with Curcio in the WP so I know the following statement to be misleading.

"...inadvertently took a bite of a cannabis-infused candy bar and got really dizzy."

She saw the chocolate on the counter and ate it. There wasn't anything "inadvertent" about it. She's an admitted chocoholic. Your statement..."and got really dizzy" implies this occurred shortly after eating the candy (most of which she spit out) which is not how edibles work in the body.

I personally found her account to be a little over dramatized, after the fact. While I'm sure the fact she didn't know what was happening and became paranoid which served to enhance her physical symptoms, this woman had one bite, most of which she spit out.

As far as blame goes, her actions, her results. Don't put something in your mouth if you aren't sure where it came from, just because it looks like chocolate. The son, if he did the leave the chocolate on the counter (seems no one is quite sure where it came from.....a friend of a friend of a friend......uh huh), is an adult in a house with two other adults who obviously know he uses pot since they all laughed about the incident (at first, anyway). What's he guilty of? Not sneaking around and not hiding his pot from Mommy?