JOHOR BARU, Aug 3 — Police have seized cookies believed to be laced with marijuana in the Sultanah Aminah Hospital here after two staff members had allegedly consumed them unknowingly and passed out.
Johor police chief Datuk Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd, when contacted by Malay Mail yesterday, confirmed the seizure.
Sources said the two men, who are medical lab technicians attached with the hospital’s pathology department, had eaten the cookies that were kept in their office pantry on Monday.
The men, in their 20s, then had bouts of dizziness and unusually rapid heartbeat before passing out in the pathology department’s microbiology unit.
A police source, familiar with the case, said a team from the Johor Baru South district police narcotics criminal investigation department (NCID) immediately probed the incident after receiving a report from one of the victims the next day.
“Investigators then conducted two separate raids at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital’s pathology department building on Wednesday after taking a statement from the complainant.
“The police team seized two jars that were believed to contain cookies that were laced with marijuana at 1am.
“This was followed by a follow-up raid at 4.30pm where police seized two packs of dried leaves that are believed to be marijuana, packs of chocolate chips and nuts as well as vanilla essence,” said the source.
It is understood that police have not made any arrest at the time of writing.
The source said police are still investigating the case and samples of the cookies have been sent to Chemistry Department for analysis.
Meanwhile, a hospital source said one of the victims’ had passed out for about four hours after he ate three cookies from a jar in the pantry at 10am on Monday.
“The department’s staff then immediately rushed the victim to the hospital’s treatment unit where doctors ordered him to be warded for further observation.
“A urine test later revealed that the victim was positive for cannabis trace and doctors believed that it was the cause of his uneasiness before he was unconscious,” said the source.
The source added that the victim believed that the cause of his situation was suspected to be from the cookies.
“He was then advised by doctors to lodge a police report on the incident,” said the source, adding that the victim lodged a report at the Central police station, which is under the Johor Baru South district police at 2.45pm on the next day.
The case is currently investigated under Section 15 of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952, pending results from the Chemistry Department on the cookie samples.
Over the years, police have occasionally come across edible marijuana products, namely in cookies and candies.
In April last year, police detained five men, including a journalist and a university student, on suspicion of producing and selling cookies laced with marijuana at two houses in Kuala Lumpur.
