Marijuana-laced cookie left man hospitalized for four days
Bonnie Archibald was so eager to share her chocolate chip cookies that she left one on a coworker's desk. She handed another coworker a cookie and smiled.
Archibald brought a batch of "special cookies" to Margolis Nursery in Superior Township, where she worked in retail, a police report says. She asked a friend she works with to make the treats, which were laced with marijuana, and thought it would be a joke to pass them out.
Archibald
Investigators said the prank went too far when the two unsuspecting coworkers were sickened by the cookies. One was hospitalized for four days after complaining of "stroke-like symptoms." The other didn't feel well for hours.
Archibald, 58, of Romulus, pleaded guilty Tuesday in 14A District Court to two counts of aggravated assault and battery in connection with the Nov. 7, 2008, incident.
The police report shows that roughly an hour after a 52-year-old coworker ate the cookie left on his desk, he called 911 complaining of the stroke-like symptoms.
He was "sweating profusely, his heart was racing, he experienced dizziness and was having memory loss." The man, who lives in Ann Arbor, was taken by ambulance from an Olive Garden in Ann Arbor to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Superior Township, where he spent four days. Tests came back fine. The hospital never tested for drugs, having no reason to suspect it.
When he returned to work, the report says, he asked Archibald, "What did you put in those cookies?
Archibald, became defensive, and said, "Nothing." He told her that he didn't eat anything else that day. She replied, "I ate one and I didn't get sick."
The man was approached by a 58-year-old coworker who also ate a cookie. That man, who lives in Saline, told him that Archibald "was smiling at him as she handed him a cookie."
He was sick for seven-and-a-half hours, spending two of those hours in his office suffering from "stomach pains" and "dizziness." His heart also was racing.
When he asked Archibald what was in the cookies, the report says, she simply smiled. Deputies took a report on the incident 11 days later.
When a deputy interviewed Archibald, she said she didn't make the cookies. Her friend, who wasn't charged, told investigators that he baked them as a favor. He had no idea she was passing them out.
Archibald changed her story several times, the report says, before explaining what happened.
"Archibald then became very emotional (crying) while apologizing for giving her co-workers the marijuana laced cookies," the report says.
Archibald is out on a promise to appear in court and is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 28, when she faces up to a year in jail on each misdemeanor count.
Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 and email at leehiggins@annarbor.com.
Comments
newsboy
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 7:03 p.m.
Sorry; if one of these guys would have been on heart medications the outcome would have been manslaughter.
donderop
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 6:32 p.m.
Somebody had money to burn if they could afford to bake pot-laced cooks.
Chuck Early
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 2:54 a.m.
Gimme a break! No one believes this ridiculous propaganda... What is this? A sequal to Reefer madness?
alex
Sun, Jan 29, 2012 : 12:35 a.m.
OBVIOUSLY it wasn't the marijuana that kept him hospitalized (unless he is allergic but i've never heard of that) but people should NEVER give drugs to unsuspecting people even harmless ones like marijuana, this was a stupid decision on the woman's part (probably a pretty pricey prank too if it freaked the guy out that much). She can certainly make me some cookies though!!
TheLorax
Sun, Jan 29, 2012 : 4:04 p.m.
All I can say is....I want some of whatever she put in those cookies. Strong enough to put someone in the hospital for four days must be some good green.
Hmm
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 11:24 p.m.
Wow how irresponsible can you be? Giving unsuspecting people drugs is beyond stupid
Anna
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 9:07 p.m.
...Can he bake me some?
FreedomOfSpeech
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 7:31 p.m.
November8, 2008 ? Umm Q. Why did it take over 3 years to bring this charge?
Jonas B Williams
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 6:30 p.m.
What she did was very, very wrong. It's not funny in any way shape or form. Ingesting marijuana does, in fact, put you in a situation sometimes where you are like "I am NEVER doing this again, please take me to the ER.". It gets converted in the liver to other compounds that can be very, very intense, even if you're an MMJ patient, have a tolerance, and so on. Cannabis is serious, serious, medicine. It is MEDICINE. Let's see her lace the cookies with opiates -- that could be murder and the people could/would die. The most reassuring thing you can tell someone who is going through having taking too many "edibles" as they are called is that "Marijuana has never killed anyone, this will pass in less than 8-12 hours". Calm them down. Not telling people what's in it? Man, that's really, really cruel. It's definitely assault and battery, and arguably a lot, lot more. It's cruel, it's completely unacceptable what she did. Especially not telling them what it was. If you know that it's cannabis that's making you feel this way, and you know that cannabis has never killed anyone, that helps. But if you take too much, it's still extremely unpleasant. This is why I don't understand why people might think that cannabis is "fun". It's not "fun". But if you have cancer, if you have chronic pain (for real chronic pain, not just lying to the doctor), it's medicine and you take it. It may not make you feel good, but it takes away the pain and does other good things for you. Not knowing what it is was the scariest part for these people. 4 days? Believe it. Totally. It's totally possible. Remember the 911 call when the Washtenaw County sheriff's deputy stole some cannabis from the evidence room and made brownies? At least he knew what it was. These people didn't know what it was. What she did deserves to be punished. It is definitely tantamount to assault and battery. If they did it in Guantanamo it would be called torture (making you f
Michael K.
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 5:56 p.m.
I would imagine that the symptoms could have better tolerated by this man had he simply known why he was experiencing them. That may have been the bigger mistake - not letting him and the doctors know at the time what had happened. Depending on the people involved, that may even have avoided the police involvement. The one man apparently had eaten nothing else that day. To experience the physical reaction alone would be alarming - racing heart, sweating, dizziness, difficulty walking, slurred speech. Plus he had memory problems, cognition problems, probably some anxiety related to the marijuana. To have all those symptoms with no readily apparent cause would totally freak me out too. He mentioned "stroke symptoms." I imagine they did MRI's, blood tests, a stress test for the heart, etc over the 4 days to try to figure out what was going on. Poor guy was probably afraid to go home, fearful that he might have a stroke and die (thinking he was having TIA's - a pre-stroke warning, etc) or just lose his mind. The most likely long term diagnosis, if this persisted for him for unknown biological reasons, would be panic attacks, psychosis, or schizophrenia. Again, if she had just told him at the time .. Though I'm sure she was terrified at the time. ***** "Warning signs of a stroke may appear as early as seven days before an attack. .... Common symptoms of a TIA, which are similar to those of a stroke yet temporary, include: * Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body * Sudden confusion or problems understanding * Sudden difficulty speaking * Sudden vision difficulty in one or both eyes *Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, or difficulty walking * Sudden, severe headache with no apparent cause
Gordon
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 4:18 p.m.
WOW! A lot of medical opinions with out qualifications. Should she have done that? No. Have any of us ever done a dumb thing out of kindness. Yes. Jail & big fine required? No. Likelyhood lesson learned? Yes. Give it a rsst unless you are perfect.
alex
Sun, Jan 29, 2012 : 12:39 a.m.
it wasn't necessarily out of kindness, she noted it as a "prank" I'm a HUGE marijuana advocate and user (legally of course ;] ) But giving drugs to unsuspecting people is an awful thing to do and I do believe she should get some jail time for it. The guy probably had a large hospital bill and in these hard times who knows if he was even insured!!
Berda Green
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 3:50 p.m.
SHE IS IN BIG TROUBLE AND ITS NOT RIGHT
david st. crystal
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 2:17 p.m.
"Stroke-like symptoms" is code for eating Lucky Charms and listening to Floyd.
WalkingJoe
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 3:37 a.m.
I posted a story when the other article was out the other day about a co worker I had who laced our coffee cups with hot pepper juice. While most of us just got a nasty jolt one guy had a severe allergic reaction and had to go to the ER. I am no health expert but this may have happened here, or as others have suggested there was a reaction to something else they ingested. The practical joker I worked got some time off work and lost the respect of his co workers. Luckily for him and this woman nobody died.
Ann English
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 6:13 p.m.
I've been looking for someone to bring up drinks that got something put into them, without the drinker being aware of it. I wouldn't want to read that someone around here was drinking beer with someone else who wanted him or her to try LSD, refused, the other person secretly slipping some LSD into that beer, the unsuspecting patron drinking it, then hallucinating, seeing a bridge between two buildings that wasn't there, stepping out on it, and falling several floors to the pavement and ending up paralyzed. But years ago, that happened to someone named Steve living somewhere else. t
Ellen
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 3:56 p.m.
I guess I don't get how people would think it's funny. Maybe I'm too serious @ work ...
smokeblwr
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 2:44 a.m.
I once got super sick after doing a whole pouch of Red Man. Whoooboy! I haven't touched the snuff, errr....stuff since.
alex
Sun, Jan 29, 2012 : 2:38 a.m.
yeah well tobacco is FAR more harmful than marijuana...
Ann English
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 6:07 p.m.
I once read of a young man who got out-of-control oral cancer from "dipping snuff," influenced to do it by professional baseball players. Because of the cancer, he lost his entire lower jaw.
West of Main
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 5:04 p.m.
You're right EyeHeartA2, most people don't cook with chewing tobacco.
EyeHeartA2
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 4:07 p.m.
I bet you were thinking "Hey, I should bake this in some cookies! It would be funny if I passed them out to unsuspecting people." or maybe not, since most people don't think that way.
treetowncartel
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 6:07 a.m.
I puked on skoal bandits, what was i thinking?
bunnyabbot
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 2:39 a.m.
I find it disturbing that people are so pro marijuana here that they question a victims reactions, hospitization and anger over being poisoned. Doing so gives the impression that you either condone the behaviour of this woman or think slipping pot into baked goods is no big deal. You are all not doctors or scientists.
Bear
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 3:09 a.m.
do you guys really take yourself so seriously? no one has said anything against the fact that this woman should NEVER have given someone food with this or any other substance without their knowledge or permission. If that somehow gives you the impression that anybody here 'condones' the behavior of this woman, I don't see how you could come to that conclusion by any stretch of the imagination. The fact is, Pot will not kill you, ingested in cookies or not! It may give you disturbing symptoms & reactions, yes, but it will not cause you harm enough to be hospitalized for four days. You want us to say that it will? Just to make you happy? Not going to happen. I feel bad for those people that were subjected to this woman's lack of morals & severely bad judgment. It's an awful feeling to suddenly realize that somethings not right and you have no control over it. Being slipped any kind of drug or medication is stupid! And you don't have to be a doctor or a scientist to understand something of this nature. All you have to be is a gardener. Every one who works on cars isn't a certified mechanic, either. Many repairs don't need that level of training. So your statement is full of holes. I find your thought processes to be disturbing.
EyeHeartA2
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 4:05 p.m.
"There is no way it was only marijuana if eh was hospitalized for four days. Maybe he had an allergic reaction to chocolate chips or some peanut oil, but the facts do not support marijuana causing anybody to be hospitalized for four days" "I call shenanigans. No amount of marijuana will make you sick for four days. Period" Those don't seem too pro-victim
beeswing
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 2:31 p.m.
Funny, I didn't get that impression at all.
just a voice
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 1:17 a.m.
THC alone without other Cannabinoids can lead to extreme discomfort and unpleasant highs. While I do agree that 4 days sounds like a long time for the effect to last, a person with no tolerance might experience problems for some time. My dad's friend from college told the story about eating too much pot brownies once and being stoned for 3 days straight, so this is not unheard of.
Ann English
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 6:04 p.m.
Now that you bring it up, I do remember hearing of pot brownies being made and eaten. This story of pot cookies didn't jog my memory of them.
Joe_Citizen
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 12:38 a.m.
Anything ingested has an effect on the body some how or another. But I do agree she has no business putting any kind of foreign substance in any food unless the consumer knows full and well what it is. I'm not against pot, just against people putting things into food that don't belong.
Ann English
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 12:21 a.m.
They might have had different reactions to ingesting the cookies because of the drugs (OTC or prescribed) they were already taking. Doctors always want to know which medicines someone is currently taking before choosing one to prescribe. Some should be taken with food, others with a full glass of water. I wonder if the 52-year-old had less food in his stomach than the 58-year-old; we know that alcohol has a bigger effect when swallowed on an empty stomach than when ingested with food. Both alcohol and marijuana affect the circulatory system.
Joe_Citizen
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 12:31 a.m.
Anything ingested has an effect on the body some how or another. But I do agree she has no business putting any kind of foreign substance in any food unless the consumer knows full and well what it is. I'm not against pot, just against people putting things into food that don't belong.
John of Saline
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 11:22 p.m.
It's poisoning, plain and simple. And she obviously thought she was oh-so-clever.
alex
Sun, Jan 29, 2012 : 2:37 a.m.
marijuana isn't a "poison" moron. Yes she shouldn't of done this to unsuspecting co-workers but she didn't intend to harm anyone.
jcj
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 11 p.m.
M I call you irresponsible! I doubt you are qualified to know how some people might react to ingesting marijuana! Is it harmful, under any circumstances, to eat marijuana instead of smoking it? For those who may not like smoke getting in their eyes or don't want to inhale, swapping a pot-filled bong or joint for pots and pans may sound like a good idea. However, compared to smoking pot, there are greater risks of unpleasant side effects that may result from eating marijuana. Even though an overdose may feel like death, the good news is marijuana itself isn't lethal. The bad news is that there's no escaping the unwanted side effects, including dry mouth, blood-shot eyes, and increased heart rate and blood pressure until the body breaks down the drug. Moreover, these effects may actually be more severe and last longer when food is spiked with marijuana because marijuana has a stronger, more prolonged effect on the body when it's eaten.
Bear
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 2:56 a.m.
jcj - you actually got most of the info right. The last paragraph was a little garbled, but you do indeed have a greater risk of overdose with eating marijuana if you don't know the potency of your product and what constitutes a proper dose. The pot will not kill you, it's just an unpleasant feeling for awhile. It is usually that the marijuana has a stronger, more powerful effect because it has been cooked into the food, especially if there are fats in it. Cooking oils or butter intensify the effect of the weed. It may feel like you're dying, but you are not. You are just too medicated. On the main, though, this woman was dumb as all getout for dosing people without their knowledge or permission. For that she is paying the proper price. She was wrong, hopefully, she learns and doesn't repeat this stupidity.
johnnya2
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 10:55 p.m.
There is no way it was only marijuana if eh was hospitalized for four days. Maybe he had an allergic reaction to chocolate chips or some peanut oil, but the facts do not support marijuana causing anybody to be hospitalized for four days unless there was an underlying issue not related to it. Fact is marijuana is a depressant, and the symptoms he is talking about are related to amphetimines
Bear
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 2:48 a.m.
@johnnya2... really? I don't think you know jack about marijuana, just by your statement. Ingesting marijuana can, in fact, have the exact symptoms described in the article. It is only temporary, though, and a person of average health will not have any serious problems.
David Wizard
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 2:18 p.m.
I have seen all of those symptoms occur in friends who don't tolerate cannabis very well. Increased heartrate is a particularly common side effect (check Erowid if you're dubious). Sweating can certainly occur in cannabis users who have a strong anxiety reaction to THC (also relatively common). And dizziness and short-term memory loss are common symptoms recognizable to anyone who's ever gotten high.
justcurious
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 12:27 p.m.
Sorry Richard, can't agree with your assessment. No creadence.
Richard
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 8:14 a.m.
He was in the hospital 4 days because they did not know what was causing his symptoms. Had they known it was marijuana, they probably would have sent him home. And johnnya2, marijuana does cause the symptoms that were described. If someone is a pothead and smoking for years, they likely won't suffer those symptoms; but someone who isn't used to it will have a stronger reaction. Look it up.
Mike
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 10:51 p.m.
It's good we have a lot of marijuana experts in this town who have commented. Where were they when she was being tried? I'm surprised they didn't comment that the people who got illl won't have to worry about glaucoma............
Bear
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 2:45 a.m.
There are plenty of marijuana experts around, and not only in this town, MIke. I'm sure you were being sarcastic, but you accidentally made a good point. As far as the woman's irresponsible 'prank' as the article called it; that was just flat WRONG! I hope her punishment isn't grossly out of line with her crime, but she deserved to be prosecuted for giving this to people without their consent or knowledge. That's horrible, insensitive and a downright vicious thing to do to someone. So, expert or no, that gives no reason to 'be there' in any capacity, for her trial. So, I'd just like to ask, "what is your point?" Because I don't see one beyond being smug about something you appear to have no knowledge of whatsoever.
M
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 10:32 p.m.
I call shenanigans. No amount of marijuana will make you sick for four days. Period.
Bear
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 2:39 a.m.
@eyeheart, be a sarcastic smart alec if you want, but there are NO documented cases of marijuana causing someone's death. NONE. Show me one from a reputable source backed up by other sources and I'll change my mind. They took this guy in for 4 days not because of the marijuana, which this article's lame headline would insinuate, but because the hospital chose to keep the man there. Effects of ingested marijuana only last a couple of hours, not days. This is another case of an irresponsible excuse for journalism.
Bear
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 2:33 a.m.
@jcj. yes, it is a common way of taking it. people don't just smoke it. Some people don't like to smoke, so they cook with it. It's great on scrambled eggs or mashed potatoes.
EyeHeartA2
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 4:01 p.m.
Oh, well then in must be OK for everyone, since some people do it and don't have a reaction. You know, like: Peanuts Penicillin etc.
N. Todd
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 3:25 p.m.
@jcj - For what it's worth, the oral consumption of cannabis is extremely popular. There are a number of local businesses producing medibles, as they're known, that are distributed at dispensaries, trade shows, etc. Many people have a difficult time with the smoking and/or vaporizing processes, and choose to use the medibles. Many doctors actually advocate this means of consumption versus the tradition smoking/combustion methods.
Jimmy McNulty
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 2:19 p.m.
@treetowncartel, someone threw the peanut at the person and he was killed instantly. Oh, and it was in a jar.
treetowncartel
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 6:05 a.m.
Nowayjose, while I don't doubt it could happen, please enlighten us about the peanut incident you speak of, the who,what, where, when and how?
sellers
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 3:40 a.m.
I agree, the reactions are not what are typical, but as pointed out, allergic reactions happen.
nowayjose
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 2:52 a.m.
Thanks for your opinion doctor but I don't believe you are qualified to say how ones body can react to a substance. I've seen one peanut kill a man.
obviouscomment
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 12:14 a.m.
Also, maybe he wasn't sick for four days. They were running tests trying to figure out what happened and keeping him for observation. As I've commented before, we don't know what other kind of medication this person could have been on or what health problems they have that could cause a serious reaction.
jcj
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 10:54 p.m.
Do you usually eat your marijuana?
leaguebus
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 10:29 p.m.
Looks like she has learned her lesson already. Give her community service in a hospital or something. It costs us money to throw someone in jail.
GirlNextDoor
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 10:42 p.m.
She's also had a good dose of public humiliation, with two articles posted this week...well-deserved, I might add.
justcurious
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 10:25 p.m.
I'm wondering if the friend just put marijuana in the cookies or something else. These seem like violent reactions. Of course the drug has supposedly changed over the years. It is too bad that no tests were able to be done.
justcurious
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 12:40 p.m.
Actually, Angry Moderate, haven't you heard that it is stronger now or that it can be cut with other things and laced with chemicals? The so called "war on drugs" has encouraged shady characters to do anything to make their profits.
Angry Moderate
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 12:24 a.m.
THC in 2012 is the same as THC from 1970. "It's changed" is an excuse for hypocrites who tell their kids not to do the same things they did when they were that age.
obviouscomment
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 12:10 a.m.
Also we don't know what other health problems or medications the victims may have had that would react adversely with the drug. That's why this situation can be so serious. She's lucky nobody died.
u812
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 10:21 p.m.
H to the IZZO
Sallyxyz
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 10:07 p.m.
Throw her in jail for a while. That will teach her a lesson that giving people drug-laced food is not a joke.