Employee sacked for taking cake laced with marijuana into work to celebrate his birthday

Celebrating a birthday at work is usually synonymous with joy, friendship and a break from the work routine. It is customary for the person celebrating to bring something to share with their colleagues: a cake or some chocolates to sweeten the day.

However, what should have been a gesture of camaraderie in a logistics warehouse in Burgos in Spain turned into a real nightmare. The incident ended up with a police investigation, a dismissal and a disciplinary file, all because of one unusual ingredient in the cake: marijuana.

The event, which has caused a great stir among the staff and trade unions, happened last week. Around 15 people were working the morning shift on the day when one of them brought in a treat for his birthday. Only five people decided to try the cake, which contained an amount of cannabis so potent it caused several people to be intoxicated. Two employees were rushed to Burgos' Hospital Universitario after reporting feeling unwell a few minutes after eating the cake. They experienced dizziness, disorientation and a generalised feeling of anxiety. This prompted their supervisors to activate the emergency protocol.

The National Police and two ambulances were mobilised to the warehouse. The other three employees who had eaten from the cake were treated for anxiety attacks, which they suffered after learning that the cake contained marijuana.

The case quickly gained prominence in the news. Both the CCOO and UGT trade unions confirmed the incident and stated that the worker who had brought the cake had already been dismissed. In the meantime, a disciplinary case of very serious nature linked to drug use in the work environment was opened.

The main fact that must be clarified is whether the former employee's colleagues knew about the contents of the cake. He said that he had informed them and that the five intoxication victims had tried the cake at their own risk. However, the rest of the workers firmly denied this.

This detail will be decisive for the future of the case, since if it is proven that the workers were unaware of the presence of marijuana, the suspect could face a crime against public health.

The cake was seized and sent to a forensic analysis laboratory to determine the exact amount of THC it contained. According to police sources, if the prosecution declares the consequences of the suspect's actions very serious, he could be arrested, even if his former co-workers don't file a complaint.