Since cigarettes have gone electronic, it was only a matter of time for cannabis to become electronic. Today, a legal vagueness allows followers to obtain it. But the health effects are not yet clear. The academy of medicine wants informing young people about the dangers of cannabis to become a national priority
“Vaping” is, for some, a substitute for cigarettes. More economical and, a priori, less dangerous for health. Cannabis users seem to think the same. They found their substitute: CBD. For “cannabidiol”.
It is a molecule, which can be found in some e-liquids for several years now. It can be obtained on the internet very easily. And cannabidiol e-liquid bottles are invading the windows of shops that are well established.
The little brother of THC
Cannabidiol does not have the same effects as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the active ingredient in cannabis.
It is the THC that causes the feeling of “high” in the user. It thus facilitates falling asleep. For sale and purchase, it is strictly prohibited above 0.2%.
Cannabidiol, on the other hand, has no psychoactive effects at normal doses. It acts on alertness, increases body temperature. According to some studies, its effectiveness would be interesting against muscle spasms or multiple sclerosis … but only when it is associated, precisely, with THC.
The main advantage for sellers is that this molecule is surrounded by legal uncertainty.
A misuse of the molecule
Indeed, cannabidiol is legal in France, but only if it is in the form of a drug. Yet today, there is still no such drug. CBD capsules are still sold online. Argument of traders: its therapeutic virtues against pain.
These are the same arguments that sellers of e-liquids use. Problem: nothing proves, to date, these virtues due to cannabidiol. Another problem: nothing proves, either, the damage it can cause on health. But producers and traders sank into the breach.
The authorities lagging behind
And the health authorities are somewhat overwhelmed by the craze. Especially since three years ago, the question had already arisen with the marketing of the first electronic seal, called “Kanavape”. The Minister of Health at the time, Marisol Touraine, threatened to ban it and the creators of this “e-seal” had then withdrawn it from sales. It is clear that for three years, the phenomenon continued to grow.
The Academy of Medicine has decided to sound the alarm bells. One in two young French people who die in a road accident have consumed cannabis and the consumption of this substance is often associated with mental disorders, such as schizophrenia. A concern supported by the fact that many young people start using cannabis resin at the age of 12.
According to this institution, the warning of the harmful effects of cannabis must be placed “at the level of national priority” and “the consumption of cannabis must not be trivialized”.
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