Unsurprisingly, PETA Is Pissed About Charlotte’s Hotboxed Lobsters
By now, you've probably heard about Charlotte Gill of northern Maine smoking out her lobsters pre-pot boil. After all, it's the talk of the town -- and now, the nation!
Gill experimented the method on one lobster - Roscoe - to start, seeing how long the effects lasted and how it changed his behavior. After observing that Roscoe became much more docile with his fellow lobsters for upwards of three weeks, she released him to the sea as thanks and began offering "hotboxed lobster" as an option in her restaurant.
Since news of her high crustaceans spread worldwide, Charlotte has begun to catch some heat for her unorthodox method. In a written statement to Marijuana Moment, PETA indicated that being high doesn't make lobsters' experience any easier. Gill has not responded to PETA’s statement, and health inspectors have since asked her to refrain from getting lobsters high until they further investigate the effects of marijuana on lobsters.
“It is highly unlikely that getting a lobster high would make a lick of difference when it comes to the full-blown agony of being boiled or steamed alive," PETA said.
For years, veterinarians have warned against feeding pets edibles or blowing smoke in their face. While animals can ostensibly feel the effects of THC, vets indicate that they experience "a very bad trip rather than being stoned or high," not knowing what's happening to them. However with the widespread cannabis legalization, CBD-rich products have made it into the mainstream as a way to soothe and relax household pets, inducing a calming effect without the high that THC provides.
Scientists are still unclear as to whether lobsters feel "high", or whether they can even feel pain at all. In the meantime, Gill continues to hope the method will catch on, defending her tactics in any facebook fights that break out. She claims she's waiting to present a full explanation of her methods before long; for now, she's just overwhelmed with how the topic has blown up.
"I haven’t responded to much of what has been said as I want to address it completely clearly and fairly. Quite honestly I haven’t had opportunity to even blink unadulterated for the past 72 hours, and this is important stuff," Gill said in facebook comments.
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