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Befuddled much! Cannabis grown with spinach in Australia farm. 200 consume it…
Australia: The plant material that caused delirium, hallucinations and blurry vision has been identified as thornapple.
Nearly 200 people in Australia consumed cannabis which was contaminated as it had been grown along with baby spinach. The consumption resulted in them feeling hallucinated and facing other symptoms just days after Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) initiated a nationwide recall of multiple products containing baby spinach that was causing illness among people.
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The plant material that caused delirium, hallucinations and blurry vision has been identified as thornapple, a type of nightshade, Bloomberg reported adding that the weed was mistakenly harvested and processed along with the produce.
Thornapple (Datura stramonium), also known as jimsonweed, may cause symptoms such as delirium or confusion, hallucinations, blurred vision, flushed face, dilated pupils, rapid heartbeat, and dry mouth and skin. Even touching the thornapple plant can result in dermatitis, headaches, and nausea in some people, the report added.
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Last week, more than 190 potential cases have been reported across the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. Authorities anticipate more cases as well as several among them have been hospitalised.
However, majority of the people impacted are only experiencing symptoms for a brief duration and are recovering quickly. According to The Guardian, the farm from where the contaminated baby spinach produce sprouted, said, “the investigations have not identified any other potential chemical, herbicide or other types of contaminant."
