More than 3,000 people have been hospitalised from taking cannabis products, including jellies and sweets laced with the drug, in a four-year period, new data shows.
HSE figures provided to Fine Gael TD Emer Higgins show that in 2018-2022 there were 3,277 hospitalisations for mental and behavioural disorders due to the use of cannabinoids, more than from the use of cocaine, which was 643 in 2022.
The figures show a rise of 50 per cent from 526 in 2018 to 790 hospitalisations in 2021, with this figure dropping slightly to 658 last year. In the same time frame there were 189 people hospitalised for poisoning due to the use of cannabis products.
Separate figures provided to Revenue indicate there were almost 1,000 seizures of cannabis edibles from 2018 to the end of May this year. These products had a combined estimated street value of €264,139.
Ms Higgins has called for an “awareness and education campaign” from the HSE surrounding the dangers of cannabis jellies and associated products.
She said there were significant health risks associated with synthetic cannabinoids that could appear in some jellies and sweets, which were causing increasing concern in Ireland and throughout Europe.
“Cannabinoids are a group of chemical compounds which can be extracted from the cannabis plant and can be used in oil and edible form. The most prominent cannabinoid is referred to as Tetra-Hydro-Cannabinoids [THC], which is responsible for the psychoactive effects commonly associated with cannabis use and results in a euphoric high experienced by users,” said Ms Higgins.
“Not all edibles contain natural cannabis elements and can contain a man-made chemical known as synthetic cannabinoids, which are designed to mimic the effect of THC in the body.”
Synthetic cannabinoids can greatly increase the risks of a drug emergency because they produce more intense adverse effects. According to the HSE, their use has caused many serious poisonings, mass poisonings and deaths internationally in recent years.
The HSE has issued a warning to the public about synthetic cannabinoids appearing in cannabis and THC products. This came after a number of people were hospitalised in Tipperary in December 2022 after ingesting cannabis jellies that were found to contain synthetic cannabinoids.
Ms Higgins highlighted that packaging on illegal edibles is often bright and colourful and can be mistaken for sweets and, in some cases, can almost replicate a well-known existing brand with slight variations.
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“What is concerning is how easily these illegal edibles can be obtained as they are available for sale through social media channels through word of mouth or via text message. According to the gardaí, synthetic cannabinoid products are relatively new to the market and they are more potent than THC. The packaging can be labelled as containing THC, but that is not always the case and users may not know what they truly contain or their origin,” she said.
Doctors have expressed concern about the link between cannabis edibles and significant associations with psychiatric disease like schizophrenia. They claim the psychotropic effects from eating cannabis can be delayed for hours and users would be inclined to take more as a result, which is extremely dangerous.
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Ms Higgins said: “Government is acutely aware of the devastating impact that illegal drugs, drug dealing and related criminality have on communities across the country and that is why additional resources are being allocated to the gardaí, evidenced by the unprecedented funding of over €2 billion provided in Budget 2023, but I also think that an educational approach is needed.
“These illegal products are relatively new on the market and not much is known about what is contained in them.”