An article circulating online today states that 37 people died in Colorado on the first day of of marijuana legalization. Is this true or false?
The article is satire.
The story was published by The Daily Currant, a satirical website, on January 4, 2014. The fictitious article “quotes” a doctor in Denver who stated,
“It’s complete chaos here. I’ve put five college students in body bags since breakfast and more are arriving every minute.”
The article was heavily shared on social media Thursday by readers who were unaware of the satirical nature of The Daily Currant.
The “About” page on The Daily Currant clearly states that the contents are works of fiction:
Q. Are your news stories real?
A. No. Our stories are purely fictional. However they are meant to address real-world issues through satire and often refer and link to real events happening in the world.
Bottom Line
There were not 37 deaths due to marijuana overdose on the first day of legalization in Colorado. The source of that story is the humorous website The Daily Currant.
Source
- Marijuana Overdoses Kill 37 in Colorado On First Day of Legalization (The Daily Currant: January 2, 2014)