A group of addiction professionals coordinated by Clínic-Idibaps experts have agreed that the consumption of 5 or more joints a week implies a health risk. Although this amount has been determined, these researchers emphasize that there are populations where any consumption, however infrequent and intense it may be, implies a significant risk to health. For example, under 21 years of age, pregnant and lactating women, people suffering from physical illnesses (heart and respiratory problems, among others) or mental illnesses (psychosis, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, addiction…).
What the experts intended to determine with this research is risky consumption, that is, what type of consumption pattern causes the probabilities that the person will have some negative consequence for their health in the future, whether physical or mental. . “People told you, ‘yes, I consume, but very little.’ That is when we thought we had to give clear information”, explains Dr. Mercè Balcells, head of the addictive behaviors unit at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and one of the coordinators of the work, to La Vanguardia.
But how did they come to determine this risky consumption? To begin with, carrying out a systematic bibliographic review of published studies with scientific evidence from the last 50 years. In parallel, they conducted a survey of around 800 participants (general population) and developed a methodology called Delphi to reach a consensus among experts from various fields linked to the world of cannabis (from psychiatrists to psychologists, through educators, primary care…) .
They understand that the consensus figure is a good indicator for consumers. “It’s best not to use, but if you do, it’s important to at least know that it’s best to stay below those thresholds to reduce risk. It is information that clarifies”, adds Balcells.
Currently, 3.7% of Spaniards consume cannabis on a daily or almost daily basis, which implies that this percentage of the population has a pattern of consumption that poses a high risk to their health. In addition, 15% of the Spanish population between the ages of 15 and 64 and 11% of adolescents (14-18 years) think that consuming cannabis has no health consequences (Edades y Estudes 2022).
Addiction professionals, who are meeting in Granada these days at the National Meetings and the 5th International Congress of Socidrogalcohol, show their concern regarding the risky use of this substance. “Any cannabis use with more than 10% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, component with addictive potential) is risky use, as is driving under the influence of cannabis or driving if there is a family history of mental disorders,” says Dr. Hugo López , head of the Idibaps addiction group and vice president of Socidrogalcohol “Consuming cannabis along with other drugs, including alcohol, also implies risky consumption,” he adds.
One of the main concerns of professionals is precisely the consumption of high potency cannabis at an early age. And it is that the THC content is now more powerful than 20 years ago. “Cannabis reaches a brain that has a lot of plasticity and that has many cannabis receptors where there will be alterations,” says Balcells. He also concerns cannabis use in adolescents, young adults and people with mental health problems.
Prevention is key for the population to know the real risks of consumption: “Prevention must be universal (for the whole of society), based on evidence and far from sensationalist discourses,” Balcells emphasizes. “Ultimately, it needs to be credible, coherent and solid,” he adds.
Spain is the EU country with the highest consumption of cannabis in the last month (9% of the population) and, together with Luxembourg and Portugal, one of the countries with the highest percentage of daily or almost daily cannabis users, consumption pattern higher risk.
The average age for starting cannabis use is below 15 years, according to the Estudes 2021 survey with high school students, an age at which the brain is in full development and where use can be most harmful. 14.2% of Spaniards between the ages of 15 and 34 have used cannabis at least once in the last month, a figure that rises to 15.9% among those between the ages of 15 and 24. It is the highest prevalence in the entire EU.
