Elderly Woman Files Lawsuit After Allegedly Eating Pot-Laced Cookie From Valley Hair Salon

WOODLAND HILLS (CBSLA.com) — A 72-year-old woman has sued a San Fernando Valley hair salon, alleging she ate a cooking laced with marijuana from a hospitality tray left out for customers.

Jo Ann Nickerson is suing Blush Salon, 22539 Ventura Boulevard, for negligence, strict product liability and negligent infliction of emotional distress, according to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The Calabasas resident claims she visited the salon on Oct. 4, 2013 for beauty services. As she was leaving, she took a cookie from a tray for patrons and ate it.

Within an hour, Nickerson said she developed "a severe reaction, including hallucinations, rapid heart beat, confusion, disorientation, light-headedness, dizziness, blurred vision, tingling, a headache and nausea," the suit says. "She found herself unable to speak or had delayed speech and was completely incapacitated."

The elderly woman thought she was having a heart attack and was hospitalized. A blood test found THC, the chemical responsible for most of marijuana's psychological effects, in her system, according to her lawsuit.

Nickerson said she had never used marijuana in her life.

Salon management had no comment.

Nickerson is seeking unspecified damages.

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