Jan. 16, 3:34 p.m.
A University of Arizona student who caused an overdose scare apparently had the time of his life while emergency responders checked to make sure he wasn't dying but was just (very) stoned, according to a UA Police Department report.
Two officers responded to a "check welfare" call from someone who thought a student had OD'd in his room at the La Paz Residence Hall, 602 E. Highland Ave., where firefighters and EMTs were also converging.
Shown to the door of the student's room, the officers heard "what sounded like a mixture of screaming possibly happy or sad" coming from inside. They entered to find the subject sweaty and disheveled with red, watery eyes but able to stand and walk. Medical technicians soon rushed in to give him an on-site emergency exam, during the whole of which he "laughed excitedly" and kept emitting "excited utterances and outbursts." When one medic pricked his finger to check his blood sugar, at first he made loud noises "as if it had hurt him substantially," then exclaimed, "Holy shit! That is cool! Gimme another one!"
In between "laughing and shrieking for no apparent reason," the delighted young man repeatedly told the officers (and medical personnel and anyone else who'd listen) that he hadn't consumed any drugs, alcohol or medication. He was aware of the year and month but not the city he was in. All he could say regarding his activity that day was that he'd been "thinking about 'memories.'" Anytime someone questioned what he was laughing about, he just responded, "Memories."
Placed on a gurney in the hallway, he was asked if he had anything on him he didn't want to bring with him to the hospital. Reaching into his sweatpants pocket, he pulled out—and promptly dropped on the floor—an electronic vaping device, which an officer picked up to see it was attached to a cartridge containing a brown, oily substance later confirmed to be THC. The subject was hospitalized for further evaluation to confirm he was OK.
Upon interview the next day, the student told officers he didn't have a medical marijuana card despite the fact that he "smokes pot or would like to ... at least once a day." He initially insisted the cartridge from yesterday contained only "water vapor," soon amending that to say it was nicotine, and then saying it was "CBD." Finally he admitted it was marijuana. Four more vape-pen cartridges used to ingest marijuana were found in his dorm-room trash can.
He was arrested on drug- and paraphernalia-possession charges and taken to jail, likely neither dazed nor amused.
