Reader: Could Placebo Effect Explain Pot Edibles Illnesses at Denver County Fair?

We received a big response to Thomas Mitchell's report about a class-action lawsuit filed by Jordan Coombs, who says he was sickened after consuming a pot edible at the Denver County Fair that wasn't supposed to contain any THC. Plenty of readers had questions about the stories told by Coombs...

By Michael Roberts

August 12, 2014

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We received a big response to Thomas Mitchell's report about a class-action lawsuit filed by Jordan Coombs, who says he was sickened after consuming a pot edible at the Denver County Fair that wasn't supposed to contain any THC. Plenty of readers had questions about the stories told by Coombs and others claiming to have suffered similar effects. Witness this post from someone who also tasted a Full Melt sample from the LivWell booth.

White Lie writes:

I was working as a vendor at the fair this year (I am not affiliated with LivWell or Full Melt), and I was given one of the chocolates. I've had the medicated Full Melt bars before and the sample I was given definitely DID NOT contain any cannabis. Not saying that it isn't out of the realm of possibilities, but this sounds more like a "placebo effect" in my opinion.

Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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