Unknown Tetrahydrocannabinol Edible Ingestion Resulting in Acute Stroke Presentation

Marijuana is a commonly used substance in the United States for both recreational and medicinal purposes. Detrimental health-related effects of marijuana continue to be a source of controversy.

We describe a case of a woman who presented to the emergency department with acute right upper and lower extremity weakness and altered speech after accidental unknown ingestion of food containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This is a unique case in that we could find no other published report of focal weakness or motor stroke symptoms occurring in the setting of THC ingestion. We will discuss in detail the patient's medical history and timeline of events leading to her presentation to the emergency department. Marijuana contains the psychoactive substance THC and is becoming more commonly used for medicinal and recreational purposes in the United States and abroad. The use of THC is associated with changes in levels of consciousness, perception, and several other physiologic processes. We hope to increase awareness through this case report of accidental THC use by a female patient that resulted in a stroke code and potentially could have led to the use of tissue plasminogen activator. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: To the best of our knowledge, focal neurologic deficits associated with THC use have not been reported in the published literature. We hope that this knowledge will encourage physicians to consider THC intoxication as a cause of new onset extremity weakness.