CDC: Colorado teen’s death shows ‘potential danger’ of edible weed | Denver

“You could eat several of these cookies and be put into a euphoric state, and possibly have anxiety, but that, in and of itself, would not be lethal”.

Levy Thamba Pongi, a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was studying to be an engineer at Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming.

In March last year, a 19-year-old worldwide exchange student was reported to have died from jumping off a balcony, after ingesting a whole marijuana cookie that contained six times the recommended dose of pot for a user. CDC has issued a report on the case in which it has stated that the victim has no known history of alcohol abuse, illicit drug use, or mental illness.

While in the marijuana dispensary, workers recommended that he only eat roughly one sixth of the edible – about 10 mg of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in weed that causes the high.

In Colorado, anyone over the age of 21 can legally purchase marijuana, including cannabis infused edibles such as sweets, cookies or brownies. But after about 30 to 60 minutes, he didn’t feel any effects, so he ate the rest of the cookie, as stated by the report, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

As per the report, Pongi had the entire cooking, which was having 65 mg of THC.

The police report said he told friends, “This is a sign from God that this has happened, that I can’t control myself”. He then died of head trauma later in the hospital, listing marijuana intoxication as the major contributing factor. Thamba reportedly became agitated and leaped from a fourth-story hotel balcony.

“Because of the delayed effects of THC-infused edibles, multiple servings might be consumed in close succession before experiencing the “high” from the initial serving, as reportedly occurred in this case”, the report said. These would outline each 10mg serving or require the products to contain no more than 10mg of THC altogether. It’s a much needed update, as the CDC estimates 45 percent of Colorado’s marijuana sales involve edible products, including food and drink. The concern is not only for those who are using the products themselves, but also those who obtain products from others and for children who may be attracted to the candies without realizing they contain the drug.

CDC now urges the states in which recreational marijuana is legal, to mandate new regulations in its labeling and packaging.