November 09, 2019
Dion Waiters, a Philly native and current guard for the Miami Heat, was scratched from Miami's game Friday night against the Lakers because he reportedly passed out on the team plane and suffered a seizure after eating too many "gummies."
Waiters was officially listed as out with an "illness", according to Fox Sports 640's Andy Slater:
UPDATE: Dion Waiters is the Heat player who had medical emergency on team plane, I’ve confirmed.
— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) November 9, 2019
Waiters overdosed on “gummies,” sources say, and was passed out when plane landed.
He had a seizure when he was finally woken up, I’m told.
Waiters was listed out tonight (illness)
A spokesperson for the team told Slater he couldn't comment because of medical confidentiality laws.
Why the word gummies was placed in quotation marks is unclear, though it's possible Slater was referencing THC gummy candies, a popular edible way to ingest marijuana. According to Next Avenue, cannabis candies like THC gummies are used largely to treat chronic pain:
"It is virtually impossible to fatally overdose from ingesting too much cannabis. However, the side-effects from too much THC (anxiety, rapid heartbeat and in extreme cases, severe vomiting) can be extremely unpleasant, although they generally pass in a matter of hours."
Waiters grew up in South Philly, attending both Bartram High School and South Philadelphia High School before playing college ball at Syracuse.
It's been an interesting 2019 for pro basketball players with Philly-area roots: Chester native Tyreke Evans was disqualified from the NBA for two years back in May for violating the league's Anti-Drug Program.
Currently in his fourth season with the Heat, Waiters has yet to play this season. He's played in 409 games over eight years in the NBA.
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