EURAD

10/06/2026

EUDA recently published the latest findings from their ESCAPE-study, a study which analyses the contents of used syringes in 23 cities in 16 countries.

99 different substances were found in the more than 4000 syringes that were examined. The substances varied significantly between the different locations.

Half the syringes contained more than one substance, indicating polysubsance use - or reuse of syringes. The most common drug combinations were opioids and stimulants.

Background and introduction While evidence from drug treatment centres suggests that injecting drug use is declining among he**in clients in the European Union, the risk of overdose death and infectious diseases associated with this mode of admi

28/05/2026

Parents are often the first to experience problems related to cannabis use in young people. A recent study looks at parents' perceptions of their children's cannabis use and the support system around them:

"Parents described how their children's cannabis use either worsened or appeared to trigger severe mental health crises, which increased emotional and financial burdens on their families. Many encountered health care providers who minimized cannabis-related risks, leading to inadequate support during treatment-seeking efforts. Parents also emphasized a lack of public health warnings and insufficient regulatory oversight"

Cannabis use among youth and young adults (YYA) is rising and poses serious mental health risks, especially with the availability of high-potency products. Parents are often the first to observe the potential impacts of cannabis use and are essential in recognizing early warning signs, facilitating....

28/05/2026

Legally grown cannabis from Canada, Thailand and other markets is flooding the European illicit market, according to Dutch authorities.

While co***ne trafficking has gone down, cannabis seizures jumped from 14,5 tons in 2024 to 65,5 tons in 2025.

The overproduction of cannabis in legal markets seems to flow into the illicit economy. There is still a significant price differential between legally produced Canadian cannabis and cannabis sold on the European market, which makes it attractive for organized crime. The relatively lax penalties for cannabis related crimes provide less of a deterrent.

The Netherlands was once considered the cannabis hub of Europe, but last year, foreign cannabis suddenly started flooding the port of Rotterdam. At the same time, co***ne busts at the port decreased dramatically. According to AD, cannabis trafficking is turning out just as lucrative to the underworl...

27/05/2026

Fentanyl deaths in the US have fallen sharply in recent years.

Overdose mortality in 2025 dropped 40 percent compared to the record high of 111.000 in 2023.

These figures are still tragically high; 73.000 fatalities in 2025 alone, compared to 17.000 in 2000.

The introduction of fentanyl around 2014 was a catastrophic game changer in the North American drug markets, leading to a sharp increase in drug fatalities.

So what happened in the past two years? Was it better treatment, access to naloxone or a decline in popularity due to obvious harms?

Three heavyweights in drug policy analysis, Peter Reuter, Keith Humphreys and Jon Caulkins argue that demand-side factors cannot explain the sudden drop. Instead they point to supply-side factors, and specifically a crackdown on exporters of precursor chemicals in China.

This is the best available explanation for the simultaneous decline in fentanyl supply in both Canadian and Mexican/US markets:

"Canadian fentanyl production uses precursor chemicals from China, just as Mexican producers do. ...Therefore, it seems possible that these downward trends in fentanyl supply and overdose deaths are linked to reduced flows of precursor chemicals from China. "

Supply-side explanations are not always popular:

"The public health field and academia are also generally hostile to any policy aimed at controlling illicit drug supply. The excesses of the war on drugs ... cast a shadow over a whole array of supply-control policies. These powerful voices thus bridle at crediting precursor controls with even modest success. "

China might have—but wouldn’t want Washington to know.

15/05/2026

New study finds high prevalence of cannabis use disorder symptoms among medical cannabis users.

Medical cannabis use was associated with high frequency of cannabis use, which explains most of the risk.

Among those using daily/near daily, half (49,7%) reported symptoms of cannabis use disorder, compared to 23 % among all adults who used cannabis.

15,1 % of medical users reported moderate to severe symptoms, compared to 8,7 percent of non-medical users.

15/05/2026

The use of Kratom, a psychoactive substance made from the leaves of a South East Asian tree, has increased in the US in recent years.

Regulation of kratom is heterogenous across the 50 states, with some states have no regulations, some have some regulations, and some states ban it outright.

A new study looks at kratom related contacts with poison control centers and compare the data with kratom control status.

The researchers find that states with a full ban on kratom have lower numbers of kratom exposures than states with legal sales, whether regulated or unregulated.

However, they find no difference between legal states, regardless of regulation.

15/05/2026

Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome - or cyclical cannabis related vomiting - was a relatively unknown phenomenon that got more attention in the years following cannabis legalization in the US.

It has been described as a rare side-effect, but population level studies have been scarse.

A new study looks at the prevalence of Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome among past year cannabis users and finds that 6 % of all users have experienced CHS in the past year. CHS was associated with more frequent use and high potency cannabis.

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is characterized by intense nausea, abdominal pain, and cyclical vomiting following heavy, chronic cannabis use…

15/05/2026

France to ban CBD edibles.

The ban is a result of France complying with the EU Novel Food Regulations, which says that any food not "significantly consumed" in Europe before May 1997 must be pre-authorized by the European Food Safety Authority before it can be legally marketed. The pre-authorization is there to ensure that new food products are safe for consumers.

Edible CBD products were added to the "novel food list" in 2019, and since hardly any such products have been preauthorized, they are not legal.

The ban only covers edible products. Smokable CBD can still be sold.

France will ban the sale of cannabidiol (CBD) edibles from May 15, while still allowing it to be sold to be smoked, AFP learnt from several sources on Thursday.

13/05/2026

Delta 9 THC, THCA, Delta 8, Delta 10, HHC, CBD - the list of cannabinoids just seems to get longer. Confused? The Conversation tries to clear up at least some of the smoke...

Hemp-derived THC products are federally legal, for now. A chemist describes the different THC forms these products can contain and the legal restrictions placed on them.

29/04/2026

This week we are representing the EU Civil Society Forum on Drugs at the annual Copolad meeting in The Dominican Republic.

We participated in a panel on prevention where we highlighted environmental prevention and a systems approach to prevention.