CDC Shares Report On Wisconsin Accidental THC Intoxication Outbreak

A mistake led to a lot of people feeling ill.

Last fall, a Wisconsin town experienced what some health officials called an "outbreak of THC intoxication" that was all accidental in nature and was eventually linked to a restaurant.

During this "outbreak", nearly 100 people experienced symptoms that led to investigations into potential causes, including things like potential carbon monoxide leaks.

In the end, it was all traced back to the food from a restaurant.

The CDC just released its findings on the incident, where at least 85 people got sick after eating at this place. Here's what they shared.

Substitute ingredient causes illness in dozens of people

In the recently released report from the CDC, their findings showed that at least 85 people were sickened when Famous Yeti's Pizza in Stoughton, WI, just south of Madison, accidentally added THC into several of their food items.

The report explains that the pizza place accidentally used THC-infused oil in preparing some of their dishes from October 22 through October 24, 2024.

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During this timeframe, at least 85 people who had eaten at Famous Yeti's reported experiencing symptoms health professionals say were consistent with THC intoxication.

People reported symptoms that varied from person to person, but included dizziness, sleepiness, anxiety, increased heart rate, panic attacks, increased blood pressure, and nausea.

The CDC report was in line with earlier-released findings from local and state health officials, who also identified the cannabis compound that causes "the high" was used in preparing things ike pizzas, garlic bread, cheese, bread, and sub sandwiches, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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In all, 85 cases of THC intoxication were reported, with 47 of them being men and 38 of them women. A total of 7 people were taken to the hospital by emergency services, and three remained hospitalized for at least one night.

Most of the 85 people impacted were adults, but 8 were children, with one of them being one year old.

Where did this THC oil come from? How does that happen?

The CDC report highlights that Famous Yeti's location is in a building with a shared kitchen that is also used by a Wisconsin-licensed vendor that produces THC edible products.

The restaurant's staff mistakenly used THC-infused oil from this other business in the preparation of some of the restaurant's foods, including their dough preparation.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the oil came from "a large, labeled storage container that had a 'D9' marking", though it was in the same area as oil used to prepare food for the restaurant.

A police investigation determined this happened unintentionally, and no criminal charges were sought.

In the wake of this happening, Famous Yeti's temporarily closed the store and worked to improve labeling and other procedures in conjunction with local officials. The ownership issued an apology for what they called a "horrendous mistake" and explained their plans to prevent this from happening again in a social media post.