THE GRASS ISN’T ALWAYS GREENER: A MARIJUANA-BORNE SALMONELLA OUTBREAK

At the very beginning of the year 1981, the United States saw an unusually large boost in Salmonellainfections across the country. Incidences of the food-borne illness had risen by nearly 20% from the previous year, surprising health officials not only with the unexpectedly high number of cases but its odd timing during the winter season.

Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, and Alabama saw most of the action from the Salmonella outbreak but from an unusual serotype of the microbe, Salmonella muenchen, and CDC investigators were unable to pinpoint its edible source. Michiganders, however, provided local investigators with an interesting lead in the case – 76% of those infected reported personal usage of or “household exposure” to marijuana (1).