Did Gary Fields from Denver, Colorado die from a marijuana overdose and was he the 3rd person to die like this? No, all of that was just a fake satire ("fauxtire") story from a site that loves publishing hoaxes, it did not happen and there is no truth to it.
The story originated from an article published on April 20, 2018 by Huzlers titled "4/20 Tragedy: 3rd Person 28 Year-Old Man Overdoses From Marijuana" (archived here) which opened:
DENVER, CO - With marijuana grown indoors and mysterious chemicals used to make marijuana stronger everyday it was only a matter of time till someone overdosed from this no potentially deadly strain of marijuana. Police are saying the THC strength of the marijuana consumed by Gary Fields was 10 times greater than that of heroin.
On April 20, 2018 a Gary Fields a resident of Denver, was found unconscious paramedics were immediately called but it was he was pronounced dead at the scene, He purchased 1 gram of "triple og ghostface killa kush".
Before the accident he updated his Facebook status saying "I'm about to smoke this blunt! of some killa!" young Gary Fields was found dead in his restroom.
Users on social media might have mistaken the post for a real news article:
4/20 Tragedy: 3rd Person 28 Year-Old Man Overdoses From Marijuana
DENVER, CO - With marijuana grown indoors and mysterious chemicals used to make marijuana stronger everyday it was only a matter of time till someone overdosed from this no potentially deadly strain of marijuana. Police are saying the THC strength of...
But there is no THC in heroin so comparing the THC strenght of marijuana with it makes no sense. The CDC also says it is unlikely that someone overdoses on it:
Is it possible to "overdose" or have a "bad reaction" to marijuana?
A fatal overdose is unlikely, but that doesn't mean marijuana is harmless. The signs of using too much marijuana are similar to the typical effects of using marijuana but more severe. These signs may include extreme confusion, anxiety, paranoia, panic, fast heart rate, delusions or hallucinations, increased blood pressure, and severe nausea or vomiting. In some cases, these reactions can lead to unintentional injury such as a motor vehicle crash, fall, or poisoning.
Huzlers styles itself as a "fauxtire" website and carries a disclaimer at the bottom of each page:
Huzlers.com is the most infamous fauxtire & satire entertainment website in the world. If it's trending on social media you'll find it here!
According to Splinter News the site is run by Pablo Reyes and David Martinez and according to Buzzfeed Reyes is involved with several other fake news websites. They tend to shy away from political stories, opting instead to write for a more "urban" audience, with stories about rappers, criminals and celebrities.
We wrote about huzlers.com before, here are our most recent articles that mention the site:
- Fake News: Fortnite Creator Did NOT Admit Game's Purpose Is To Prepare Young Men For War
- Fake News: Man Did NOT Leave Store After Announcing He Will Pay For Every Customers' Cart
- Fake News: Mexican Boy NOT Arrested & Deported For Singing Rancheras At A Local Walmart Store
- Fake News: 11 Year Old Boy NOT Arrested For Yodeling In A Walmart Store
- Fake News: NO McDonald's Employee Fired For Putting His Mixtapes In Happy Meals
