OH NO, POT A POISON?

Not only people have been poisoned by ingested marijuana, but so have their pets

This can’t be true. There must be some mistake. After all, no less than President Obama says marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol.

BENICIA TEACHER FACES POISONING CHARGES OVER MARIJUANA-LACED FOOD
Benicia police have arrested a first-grade teacher on poisoning charges after she allegedly fed her co-workers marijuana-laced food at an employee pot luck

By Cheryl Hurd

NBC Bay Area
January 25, 2014

Benicia police have arrested a first-grade teacher on poisoning charges after she allegedly fed her co-workers marijuana-laced food at an employee pot luck.

Teresa Gilmete Badger, a 47-year-old teacher at Matthew Turner Elementary School in Benicia, was arrested Friday afternoon on suspicion of poisoning after a month and a half long investigation, according to Lt. Frank Hartig.

Police were informed in early December by Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Janice Adams that a number of people reported feeling sick or possibly under the influence after attending a Nov. 21 after-hours employee potluck, Hartig said.

One female victim was admitted to a hospital for treatment that evening, and another was admitted on Nov. 22 complaining of chest pain and other symptoms, Hartig said.

Tests determined that victim had THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, present in her blood, Hartig said.

Police determined that several other people reported feeling like they were under the influence as a result of the potluck, and that one had taken the affected food home, where a 15-year-old family member consumed it.

The juvenile later experienced some of the same symptoms, Hartig said.

Badger allegedly confessed her involvement to individuals who were also at the party, Hartig said, but she did not admit that to police.

Dave Padilla lives across the street from Badger and says he can’t believe the charges she is facing.

“This just doesn’t fit at all,” Padilla said. “I’m hoping this is really just a bad mistake.”

Police say Badger was arrested on three counts of poisoning Friday afternoon at her home on Clyne Court and booked into Solano County Jail in Fairfield in lieu of $15,000 bail.

Badger chose not to speak to arresting officers about the incident, Hartig said.

Adams could not be reached for comment.
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ASPCA: MARIJUANA-RELATED PET POISNONINGS ON RISE
According to experts, some pets are drinking bong water and becoming sick from the active ingredients in marijuana

By Monica Garske

NBC Bay Area
January 21, 2013

Pet poisonings involving marijuana – specifically, the ingestion of pot via bong water or edibles – are on the rise, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

NBC News reports that, according to the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center division, calls reporting pet poisonings by marijuana have increased by 30 percent since 2009, from 213 calls that year to 320 in 2013.

Dr. Monika Kaelble, medical director of the Pet Emergency and Specialty Care Center in San Diego’s La Mesa community, told NBC 7 San Diego on Tuesday that her practice sees cases of cannibis poisonings quite frequently, at least once per week.

“We certainly do see a lot of marijuana poisoning. I think it’s on the rise because we now have legalization of medical marijuana, and it’s more prevalent,” said Kaelble.

“It’s not something that people think of that much. I don’t think people think their dog is going to get into marijuana but dogs love to eat things, and that’s definitely on the list,” she added.

Kaelble said her practice sees enough cases to spot the symptoms in a pooch suffering from pot poisoning, which usually includes staggering and sensitivity to sounds and lights.

"Most dogs come in kind of drunk-looking, acting very abnormally," she explained. "In most cases the dog has eaten a brownie or baked good. Secondarily, they may eat a stash or joint."

Kaelble said she rarely sees cases involving poisoning from owners purposely blowing secondhand smoke into a dog's face.

"We don't typically see deliberate poisonings, thankfully pet owners love their pets. Usually the pets are getting into something [in these pot poisoning cases]," she explained.

Kaelble said the smaller the dog, the sicker they get from ingesting marijuana.

Treatment at her practice includes giving the four-legged patient IV fkuids to flush out its system or activated charcoal to help bind the drug if vets think the drug is still in the dog's stomach.

"Usually, within 24 to 48 hours, they're back to normal again," she said.

Animal Poison Control Center director Dr. Tina Wismer says dogs, in particular, don’t react the same way as humans to marijuana. While some may become “sedated” or “wobbly,” Wismer told NBC News that some dogs experience agitation and high heart rates, resulting in distress.

“Most dogs become incontinent,” Wismer said. “They stagger around dribbling urine everywhere.”

The ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center says marijuana – namely the Delta-9-THC element in the plant – is toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs of pot poisoning in a pet also include prolonged depression, vomiting, lack of coordination, sleepiness, hypersalivation, dilated pupils, low body temperature, seizure, coma, or, even in some rare cases, death.

If a dog experiences soaring blood pressure as a result of pot poisoning and goes without treatment, a dog can go into a coma and die.

Poisoning experts say bong water is one way for pets to ingest the active ingredients in marijuana. They could also eat marijuana leaves or edibles, such as pot brownies or cookies.

Wismer says marijuana butter used to make these baked goods can be especially dangerous to pets who may eat them thinking they may be treats.

“People put weed and a stick of butter in a sauce pan and the fat soluble cannabinoids leech into the butter creating a much higher concentration of THC,” she explained.

Brownies may be twice as dangerous for dogs, too, since chocolate is one of the leading causes of dog poisonings, according to the ASPCA.

Chocolate, a heart and nervous system stimulant in dogs, can cause hyperactivity, vomiting, diarrhea, panting, tremors, seizures and even death in extreme cases.

As marijuana becomes more legally prevalent and people learn of its danger to dogs, Kaelble said she thinks owners will become more astute about hiding their pot away from a pet's reach.

"A lot of it is public awareness of the problem," said Kaelble.

The ASPCA says pet owners who think their dog or pet may have ingested marijuana should contact their local veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center.