A maker of cannabis and herb supplements in Adams County just outside Denver recently settled one lawsuit and faces other claims after some people who took its marijuana-infused sleep aids said they developed sudden liver problems.
Bailey Pate, a 36-year-old resident of the Denver area, sued Sima Sciences and Nuka Enterprises, both based in Henderson. She alleged that their “Midnight” sleep aid drops caused liver damage after she used them for about 16 months in 2020 and 2021.
She settled with the companies this week for an undisclosed amount.
Laura Browne, an attorney who represented Pate, said thousands of people in Colorado and a handful of other states may have claims, either for injuries they suffered or for the money they spent on a potentially unsafe product.
The drops, sold under the 1906 brand name, included cannabis and corydalis, a traditional Chinese herbal remedy. Corydalis contains tetrahydropalmatine, or THP, a chemical that can cause liver damage at high doses. The manufacturers recalled the products earlier this year.
Peter Barsoom, the CEO of Nuka Enterprises, told The Denver Post in a statement Wednesday that the company “received a small number of reports from customers” who experienced a rare side effect — elevated liver enzymes — from the drops in their latest formulation.
“In every case we are aware of, levels went back to normal after discontinuing use,” he wrote. “While thousands used Midnight every night without any side effects, we take our responsibility seriously and discontinued Midnight earlier this year. We deeply regret the suffering that some customers experienced.”
In July 2022, the Marijuana Enforcement Division and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a warning that said the products could cause liver injury. The drops remained available for sale, however, because the manufacturers said they had replaced corydalis with stephania, another herb.
Another state announcement…
Read the full article here
