No, We Didnt Just See The First Marijuana Overdose Death

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Recent reports may have some people confused, so let’s clear up a few things.
By Nick Wing

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/marijuana-overdose-death_us_5a0effece4b0e97dffecfc68?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

Humans have been getting high on marijuana for millennia, and there has never been a recorded case of a fatal overdose. That record appeared to be in peril earlier this week, following reports that an 11-month-old in Colorado died last year following exposure to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in weed.

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“We are absolutely not saying that marijuana killed that child,” one of the doctors who authored the report told The Washington Post in a later interview.

And indeed, that’s clear after a close reading of the paper.

The doctors actually argue that marijuana exposure could have contributed to the myocarditis ― an inflammation of the heart muscle ― that was determined to have caused the death of the 11-month-old boy. The child tested positive for high levels of THC, and there have been prior reports of cannabis-associated myocarditis, according to the doctors. Because they couldn’t confirm an alternate cause for the cardiac inflammation after conducting additional testing, they concluded there may have been a “possible relationship” between the THC and the fatal episode.

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But to be clear, this was not a case of fatal marijuana overdose. It wasn’t even a claim of one. Such a death would be truly remarkable, as reports have found that a user would have to ingest somewhere between 20,000 to 40,000 times the amount of THC contained in a single joint ― if not more ― to approach lethal toxicity. It’s not clear if that’s even physically possible, which is probably why one Colorado doctor was quick to “call ‘BS’” on the idea that the child had been poisoned by marijuana.

But even the more accurate and less controversial conclusion ― that there could be a link between cannabis and fatal myocarditis ― has raised some eyebrows.

“I’m not convinced, I have to be honest,” Dr. Bruce Goldberger, chief of forensic medicine at the University of Florida, told HuffPost. “Marijuana is a drug that’s impairing, but not one that’s known to cause issues like those described in the paper.”

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The report presented a few other red flags that could have been worth further examination. For example, although the doctors claimed to have ruled out “almost every other cause” of death, the paper makes no mention of screening for a fungal infection, which can also cause myocarditis.

But ultimately, it’s not just medical professional who have to exercise caution when it comes to reporting on drugs.

“You also have to be careful about what you read on the internet,” Goldberger said.

[lostnfound]

1. Kick to read later

[eppur_se_muova]

2. but but but ...