In France, it is currently prohibited to possess, consume and sell cannabis. In 2018, 30 tons of weed (i.e.: cannabis leaves, stems and flowering tops) were seized by authorities; Cannabis can also be consumed in the form of resin (hashish) or oil.
Classified as “narcotic”, this plant (of which the most widespread species is the Cannabis-sativa or Indian hemp) derives its psychotropic effects from a molecule, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is particularly present in cannabis oil.
For several months, the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) have been warning about two worrying phenomena: the increase in the number of synthetic products seized, and the increase in the average THC content in these products.
Stronger products designed to be more addictive
According to the national technical and scientific police service, questioned by our colleagues from the Worldthe average THC level in cannabis resin (hashish) has tripled in twenty years: it was around 6% and 8% until the 2000s to reach 28% in 2019. Worse: in some products, the rate of THC today is extremely high, as in the case of BHO (butane hash oil) which contains up to 80%.
What is the problem ? The impact of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on health is now well known: regular consumption thus increases the risk of cancer (especially of the lung and upper aerodigestive tract), certain cardiovascular diseases (cerebrovascular accident and myocardium, in particular) or certain psychiatric illnesses (mood disorders, schizophrenia, etc.).
Without forgetting the synthetic products which, according to the General Directorate of Health, are currently experiencing “a sustained production and distribution dynamic, mainly from Chinese laboratories“.
Often more dangerous than “natural” cannabis, these products are made up of hyper-addictive and hyper-dangerous molecules, such as MDMB-4en-Pinaca, a synthetic cannabinoid supposed to reproduce the effects of THC. Between 2019 and 2020, 12 deaths linked to the consumption of MDMB-4en-Pinaca were reported in Hungary, the United Kingdom and Sweden according to the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
Source: French Observatory of Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT)
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