Colorado Town's water contaminated by Marijuana Ingredients, Authorities say

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on July 23, 2016.

Residents of Hugo, a small town of Colorado, have been warned not to drink, cook or shower in the water because of the evidence of THC in the water coursing through public pipes. THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main intoxicating ingredient of marijuana.

 The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday wrote in Twitter, “A public works employee in Hugo, a town of about 800 people 90 miles southeast of Denver, detected the chemical and health officials believe it is “marijuana THC-related”.

Lincoln County Health Officer John Fox warned locals about symptoms of “marijuana excess,” including hallucinations, vomiting, elevated heart rate and paranoia, among other ill effects.

Drinking water containing THC would be similar to eating marijuana-infused food, meaning the effect would depend entirely on how much was consumed and the strength of the tainted water.

However, the County’s Public Health Director Susan Kelly said there were no reports of anyone falling ill or otherwise being affected by the tainted water. Meanwhile, officials sealed the well in question and provided bottled water to residents.

According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, which regulates the state’s cannabis industry, it was unclear how THC got into the water in the county.

Colorado allows both medical and recreational marijuana use. But, Hugo, a community of about 730 people, prohibits marijuana cultivation, product manufacturing, testing facilities, and state’s retail marijuana stores.

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