Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has warned the public from pastries, which may contain marijuana as one of its ingredients.

PDEA Director General Undersecretary Jose Gutierrez Jr. cited the story of a certain nurse in a hospital in San Marcelino, Zambales. The nurse, he said, received three boxes of homemade brownies from a certain chef as a birthday present. The nurse shared the brownies with her co-workers. After eating the said brownies, 17 hospital employees felt dizziness and pain.

Laboratory examinations revealed that the brownies contained marijuana leaves among its ingredients.

So Gutierrez cautioned the public, “Eating marijuana-spiked brownies, or pastries, present major health risks, and the continuous consumption of these has the potential to be addictive to unsuspecting consumers.”

It has been said that marijuana is ‘a gateway drug’ that would push its users to take much stronger drugs in the future.

“Thus, we are sending out this stern warning to the public not to accept any box of goodies/pastries from anonymous persons because it may contain illegal drugs,” Gutierrez added.

Effects of Eating Marijuana

Smoking marijuana already poses a great risk to health, but eating it poses an even greater risk, especially when it comes to the dosage taken. Further research said that the following effects may be experienced by people who have taken or eaten marijuana:

• impaired memory, comprehension, and mental processing skills
• inattentiveness, decreased focus, and attention
• impaired motor skills and reaction
• paranoia, hallucinations, and panic attacks when overdosed
• depressed feelings or being “down” during hangover phase
• deformed sperm and lowered sperm count
• premature birth, birth defects, and stillbirth for pregnant women

The effects of eating marijuana set in slower than smoking it. It may take 30 minutes to two hours before effects are felt.

Disorientation and delirious feeling would first set in and would be followed by a hangover. Overdose may lead to paranoia, hallucinations, and panic attacks, which can cause harm to self and others. Also, being in that mental, physical, and emotional state caused by eating marijuana can lead to accidents.

The effects caused by eating marijuana are prolonged compared to smoking marijuana. Prolonged effects mean prolonged hazards to health and safety.

Being Safe

It is hard to tell if pastries are laced with marijuana or any other similarly dangerous, addictive substances. But brownies, especially certain moist pastries, with dangerous substances may emit a strong smell that is different from the usual sweet or chocolate smell. Smaller amounts of marijuana, however, may not be noticeable at all. Regardless of how small the dosage is, the danger is still there.

If you received a homemade baked present or a sweet treat from anonymous individuals or with a questionable nature or origin, it would be best to resist the temptation and throw away the treats to save yourself and your loved ones from any unpleasant surprise.