A wrongful death lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon on Jan. 1 against Curaleaf, the Massachusetts-based cannabis company started in Portland, says its CBD oil contained THC that killed a 78-year-old man in Eastern Oregon.
The lawsuit alleges that Curaleaf sold droppers of CBD oil to customers that contained undisclosed amounts of THC and alleges that the plaintiff, Earl Jacobe, ultimately died from complications after he ingested the Select CBD Drops.
The lawsuit says that Jacobe took the drops in late August 2021. Shortly after, the lawsuit alleges, 78-year-old Jacobe fell ill.
“[He] believed he was going to die, and experienced strokelike symptoms, and experienced sudden numbness and weakness in the face, arm, and leg, sudden confusion, trouble speaking, and difficulty understanding speech, trouble seeing straight, trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, and lack of coordination,” the lawsuit says. “Mr. Jacobe turned pale, began sweating profusely, and had to be life flighted to the emergency room on two separate occasions. Due to defendant’s negligence, Mr. Jacobe experienced ongoing psychosis, discomfort, and distress, and interference with life activities.”
Jacobe, who lived in the Lake County town of Christmas Valley, died just shy of two months later. The lawsuit claims the mislabeled drops were a “substantial factor” in his death. His family seeks a trial by jury.
“Defendant labeled, marketed, advertised and sold the Select CBD Drops consumed by Mr. Jacobe as containing cannabidiol (CBD), which does not produce intoxicating effects,” the lawsuit reads. “In reality, the Select CBD Drops consumed by Mr. Jacobe contained tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive compound in cannabis that produces intoxicating effects.”
Curaleaf did not respond to WW’s request for comment.
The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission initially recalled hundreds of the CBD drops made by Cura Cannabis (acquired by Curaleaf in 2020) in September. Shortly after, the company recalled bottles of the same brand of drops, but which were supposed to contain THC. The OLCC found that the THC drops did not, in fact, contain THC, as claimed.
“Defendant was negligent by failing to exercise quality control standards of its products which would have detected THC inside its Select CBD Drops,” the lawsuit says. “Defendant was negligent by offering a tainted product which contained a dangerous foreign object which was likely to cause harm and unwanted health consequences when unintentionally consumed.”
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By Sophie Peel
January 01, 2022 at 6:55 pm PST
Photo Credit:
- Courtney Theim
Source : Williamette Week
Link to original : Federal Lawsuit Blames Curaleaf for Death From Undisclosed Amounts of THC in Its CBD Drops
