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Cottagers who called police over suspected carbon monoxide poisoning were actually just high on pot brownies

A chocolate brownie Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Ɱ

As the era of legal marijuana approaches, police may begin to find themselves receiving calls from those who once wanted to avoid them at all costs: stoned people.

This past weekend, Ontario police saw an example of this when some vacationers at a cottage called in at 5:45 a.m. because they felt sick and feared they were suffering the effects carbon monoxide poisoning. After investigating, the police found that everyone who felt ill had consumed a “brownie cake” containing marijuana. Those who hadn’t partaken in the brownie felt fine.

The Northern Bruce Peninsula Fire Department also showed up to test for carbon monoxide but didn’t find anything. All signs pointed to the cottagers simply being too high, though the police said food poisoning hadn’t been ruled out.

“This is the first incident that we’ve had up on the Bruce Peninsula, but with the legalization of marijuana coming up, it could possibly be something that we run into more often,” police constable Adam Belanger told the Canadian Press.

The revellers were not charged with a crime, though the police did issue a general warning to those who consume illegal substances that the costs often outweigh the benefits.

People often use marijuana to relax, so for many, the cottage may be a prime place to indulge. However, paranoia is a common side effect of marijuana — so if you see someone freaking out about poisonous gas at the lake, you might just want to check what they’ve consumed before calling the police.

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