# reported overdose death via THC **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 29, 2000, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reported-overdose-death-via-thc/20768 "2000-05-29T01:44:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![insider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@insider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insider)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2000, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reported-overdose-death-via-thc/20768/1 "2000-05-29T01:44:33Z")
Is it possible to overdose on THC the active ingredient in marijuana? Have their ever been a reported death related overdose of THC? ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2000, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reported-overdose-death-via-thc/20768/2 "2000-05-29T05:14:29Z")
Insider, you’re a little unclear on the concept here. Moving this thread to General Questions, where Manny will probably bitch slap me. your humble TubaDiva Administrator (Ducking) ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2000, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reported-overdose-death-via-thc/20768/3 "2000-05-29T06:11:43Z")
IIRC, somebody once died of a massive overdose of 99% pure synthetic THC. Don’t have a ref handy, I’m afraid. No death has ever been attributed to overdose by (or even health problems proven to be caused solely by) crude marijuana or hashish. ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2000, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reported-overdose-death-via-thc/20768/4 "2000-05-29T10:46:03Z")
From [Mayo Clinic - DRONABINOL (THC)](http://www.mayohealth.org/usp/html/202210.htm) "If you think you or someone else may have taken an overdose of dronabinol, get emergency help at once . Taking an overdose of this medicine or taking alcohol or CNS depressants with this medicine may lead to severe mental effects. Signs of overdose include changes in mood, confusion, hallucinations, mental depression, nervousness or anxiety, and fast or pounding heartbeat. Side Effects of This Medicine Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention. Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur: Less common (may also be signs of overdose) Amnesia (memory loss); changes in mood; confusion; delusions; feelings of unreality; hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there); mental depression; nervousness or anxiety; fast or pounding heartbeat Symptoms of overdose Being forgetful; change in your sense of smell, taste, sight, sound, or touch; change in how fast you think time is passing; constipation; decrease in motor coordination; drowsiness (severe); dryness of mouth (severe); false sense of well-being; fast or pounding heartbeat; feeling dizzy or lightheaded, especially when getting up from a lying or sitting position; feeling sluggish; mood changes; panic reaction; problems in urinating; redness of eyes; seizures; slurred speech; unusual drowsiness or dullness." From [Medicinal Marijuana Use](http://students.washington.edu/aed/midget/2.htm) “There has been no reported case of death from marijuana overdose (not to be confused with overuse; I don’t know to what extent marijuana smoke would increase heart disease or lung cancer). The estimated ratio of effective dose to lethal dose for marijuana is between 20,000 and 40,000 to one as compared to between 4 and 10 to one for pure ethanol. This is equal to smoking about 1500 pounds of pot in fifteen minutes. This data has been extrapolated from animal models. (NEJoM, Aug.7, 1997. P. 438)” Since one of the side effects is heart palpitations and Dronabinol (Marinol) has adverse effects when used with many other drugs it certainly could contribute to death but professionals don’t seem to be concerned with it as a sole cause of overdose/death. ---
**Author:** ![Silo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Silo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silo)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2000, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reported-overdose-death-via-thc/20768/5 "2000-05-29T18:48:31Z")
You can overdose on pot…you just get a headache and feel like crap. ODing does not equal death, but can result in it. Nobody has ever died from smoking pot exclusively (was that your question you were getting at). Most every chemical becomes toxic at a certain level. Yes, you sure can OD from THC alone, it takes quite a bit though and is way above the level of the drug that ellicits an effect. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2000, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reported-overdose-death-via-thc/20768/6 "2000-05-29T19:06:06Z")
I think it is important that we have at least one new thread every week about ODing on pot. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2000, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reported-overdose-death-via-thc/20768/7 "2000-05-29T19:06:42Z")
> [@](#): > > You can overdose on pot…you just get a headache and feel like crap. This may be true for some people, but I just wanted to add that I’ve never experienced it, nor has anyone I know. And I’ve helped smoke half-ounce joints and blunts before, so it can’t be the amount of pot that’s in question. Weed is just one of those things that affects different people differently. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2000, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reported-overdose-death-via-thc/20768/8 "2000-05-29T22:49:11Z")
OP talked about THC, not pot, however let’s assume they are the same, from [webmd.com](http://webmd.com): ’ Marijuana is the dried leaves of a plant called Cannabis sativa. Marijuana or the active ingredient called Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC comes in various forms. The leaves, crushed and smoked in papers or pipes, hashish smoked in pipes, or the synthetic type called marinol, given by doctors in pill form. " & Can you O.D. on pot (marijuana)? “Yes, overdose symptoms can include fatigue, lack of coordination, paranoia and possible psychosis The more common is lack of coordination and paranoia. Those are the two that I see most often. Fatigue meaning falling asleep. I have also noticed a significant reduction in short term memory. I have contacted people who tell me something once, then again in about 2 or 3 minutes…This will continue on and on. next” "If you think you or someone else may have taken an overdose of dronabinol [marinol, THC}, get emergency help at once . Taking an overdose of this medicine or taking alcohol or CNS depressants with this medicine may lead to severe mental effects. Signs of overdose include changes in mood, confusion, hallucinations, mental depression, nervousness or anxiety, and fast or pounding heartbeat.’