The Daily Populous Sunday August 15th, 2021 evening edition
Authored by insider.com and submitted by shahooster

Billy Crystal said he ate too many edibles before an MRI because he was "very nervous."

Thirty minutes into the procedure, he was so stoned he asked the doctor if he could get Taco Bell.

He also told the doctor he wouldn't mind getting some "gumbo or Nutella french toast" delivered.

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Billy Crystal said he ate too many weed edibles and asked for fast food 30 minutes into an MRI.

The "Princess Bride" actor recounted his unusual medical experience during an appearance on Wednesday's "The Tonight Show."

Crystal said his doctor recommended he get an MRI after he experienced "strange pain" in his hip, possibly from a workout. During an MRI, people typically lay in or place a body part inside a piece of narrow tube-shaped equipment.

Because he's "very claustrophobic" and was "really nervous" about the procedure, he decided to get some weed gummies to calm himself before it.

"The guy at the cannabis place said — because there's a section for seniors — 'two will make you feel good.' So I said, 'I really want to feel fabulous,'" Crystal told host Jimmy Fallon.

Crystal explained that after he had changed into his hospital gown and the doctors had put color dye in his hip (to help with clearer imaging during the MRI), he ate four of the cannabis edibles, although he didn't specify the dosage of THC or CBD in each of them.

According to Crystal, once he was inside the MRI machine, he was "listening to a little Bill Evans" and had a button he could press to get in touch with the doctor doing the MRI to ask for help.

"About half-hour in, I got really hungry," Crystal recalled. "So I squeezed the thing and he goes, 'Are you okay, Mr. Crystal?' I said, 'Yeah, yeah. Is there a Taco Bell?'"

Crystal told Fallon it wasn't just Taco Bell he had a hankering for. He also told the doctor he wouldn't mind getting some "gumbo or Nutella french toast" delivered into the hospital, probably because he was experiencing the common food cravings people can get after consuming weed.

The actor added that he did eventually get nachos at Taco Bell after he was done with the MRI — but not before he accidentally walked out of the medical building without changing out of his gown and exposing his backside to everyone.

Crystal isn't alone in miscalculating how many edibles he needed to help him feel less nervous during his MRI.

Insider health reporter Julia Naftulin previously wrote that because edibles have varying levels of CBD and THC, finding the right dosage can be tricky. Dr. Rachna Patel, a medical marijuana physician, told Naftulin that people new to edibles should take about 4.25 milligrams of CBD if they are anxious (like Crystal), and use even less if the edible also contains THC.

The cannabis plant contains both THC (the chemical that makes you feel "high") and CBD (which has no psychoactive effects, unlike THC). While the THC in weed and edibles can make people feel good and gives temporary relief from pain, it can also make your heart race and cause social anxiety.

Finnanutenya on August 15th, 2021 at 04:04 UTC »

I guess I'm the only one that liked the MRI machine. Room was cold, machine was very rhythmic sounding. Nearly fell asleep.

coderascal on August 15th, 2021 at 01:47 UTC »

I'm claustrophobic and have been in quite a few MRIs. My first one I thought it was a CT scan and didn't prepare at all. My second one, a full 90 minutes long, was supposed to come with Valium but I misunderstood and thought the MRI place would be giving it to me. Nope, I was supposed to pick it up at a pharmacy beforehand. That one was hell.

All subsequent ones, 10 or so total, have been done with a heavy dose of Valium.

lysinemagic on August 15th, 2021 at 01:03 UTC »

Jfc stoned inside an MRI machine would make me paranoid as hell