The OFDT analyzed the quality of drugs circulating in France and the appearance of rare, unusual products or products causing side effects.
- In 2023, the trend towards an increase in the concentration of active ingredient in cocaine is observed and is accompanied by a reduction or even an absence of cutting products.
- Various products containing cannabis have emerged, some of which are very concentrated or edible and can cause acute poisoning.
- Nitazenes, a new class of synthetic opioids classified as a narcotic in July 2024, were identified last year in nine collections, notably in Montpellier and Réunion.
What are the new trends in the drug market? This is the question answered by experts from the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Tendencies (ODFT) in a report published this December 17. To carry out the study, they used the National Identification System for Toxicants and Substances (SINTES) system, set up in 1999, which is a tool for observing the composition of illicit psychoactive products based on seventeen local coordinations. “In total, 731 collections of psychoactive products were carried out as part of the OFDT’s SINTES system in 2023, an increase of 17% compared to 2022.”
Synthetic cathinones pose a “high risk of neuropsychiatric complications”
According to SINTES Point No. 10, a summary of the collections carried out in 2023, the cocaine collected remains very concentrated in active principle and little adulterated. A trend that had already been observed since 2018. Regarding heroin, the indicative values of active ingredient content remain stable in 2023, “awaiting a potential change due to the marked reduction in opium production in Afghanistan.” However, samples containing synthetic cannabinoids, sold as heroin, were the subject of a health alert in Île-de-France.
“Analyses of MDMA/ecstasy confirm high active ingredient contents for the crystal form and significant variability for the tablets”, can we read in the report. For pink cocaine (most often a combination of ketamine and MDMA), few samples were collected last year. Same observation for 3-MMC or 3-methylmethcathinone, a synthetic molecule derived from cathinones. “The year 2023 was marked by the identification of synthetic cathinones, placed under surveillance by the EWS (European Warning System) of the European Drugs Agency (EUDA) due to the high risk of neuropsychiatric complications. However, very little data is currently available to better understand these risks”added the OFDT.
Cannabis: new forms can cause acute poisoning
On the cannabis side, the collections correspond to new forms of the product and high THC contents. Some are very concentrated and can cause acute poisoning. In addition, a diversification of products containing synthetic cannabinoids, particularly in edible form, was observed in 2023. “The diffusion of hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), a cannabis derivative that appeared in France in 2022 and classified as a narcotic in June 2023, as well as other hemisynthetic cannabinoids, continues in 2023. In addition, the analysis of e- liquids reveals a wide variety of synthetic cannabinoids, consumed by very young users.”
Finally, nitazenes, a new class of synthetic opioids with high pharmacological potency and classified as a narcotic in July 2024, were identified by the SINTES system in 2023, notably in the context of two health alerts in Montpellier and Reunion Island. .
