Cannabis potency in North-East Italy: A ten-year study (2010–2019)

Zamengo, Luca; Bettin, Chiara; Badocco, Denis; Frison, Giampietro

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110556

Cited by 12 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The recorded overall mean THC content is consistent with results from Niesink et al considering the imported hashish in the Netherlands in 2015 with an overall mean THC content of 17.81% [11]. The obtained results were also consistent with those of Dujourdy et al for the French seized hashish during the period 2011–2016 with an overall mean THC content of 18.20% [9] and with the results of Zamengo et al considering the Italian seized hashish in 2019 with a mean THC content of 18.31% [10].…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 85%

“…Figure 2B depicts histograms of the CBD/THC ratios for the different hashish samples. Nearly 39% of the studied samples contained a very low CBD/THC ratio, lower than 0.1, which was consistent with the hashish seized in the northeast of Italy in 2019 [10], and almost 67% possessed a CBD/THC ratio value lower than 0.2, which was consistent with the 2016 hashish French seizures [9].…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 67%

“…The obtained results were also incon- Figure 2B depicts histograms of the CBD/THC ratios for the different hashish samples. Nearly 39% of the studied samples contained a very low CBD/THC ratio, lower than 0.1, which was consistent with the hashish seized in the northeast of Italy in 2019 [10],…”

Section: Cbd and Cbd/thc Ratiosupporting

confidence: 81%

“…The arithmetic mean CBD concentrations for the studied hashish samples remained relatively stable between 2019 and 2020 with an overall mean content of 2.45%, thus indicating a decrease of 30% compared with the 3.50% overall mean CBD content recorded during the period 2011–2018 in Algeria [8]. The same trend was observed in the hashish seized in the northeast of Italy [10] with an overall mean CBD content of 3.71% for the period 2010–2019 and a notable decrease in 2019. In France, the recorded CBD content was relatively stable at 4.0% during the period 1992–2016 [9].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 58%

“…Since the end of 2018, a clear increase in potent hybrid hashish has been observed in Algeria, accompanied by a general increase in the total seized hashish quantity. The overall aim of this study is to describe the evolution of potent hybrid hashish in Algeria, understand the late evolution of this kind of hashish in the country compared with European countries, identify and characterize the different chemotypes, and compare the obtained results with those obtained in other countries, such as France [9], Italy [10], and the Netherlands [11,12]. The report summarizes the chemical characteristics of North African hashish, allowing for the establishment of a profiling platform of hashish seizures in this region, which can be used for the identification of drug trafficking organizations of the country of origin.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hashish seizures in Algeria over the 2019–2020 period: The rise of potent hashish hybrids

Boumrah¹,

Kermouche²,

Zarita³

et al. 2022

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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In Algeria, hashish is by far the most common illicit drug. This study explores Algerian hashish over a two‐year period (2019–2020). A total of 2583 hashish samples from 1707 seizures for a total quantity of 108 tons were analyzed using a validated high‐performance liquid chromatography–diode array detection method (HPLC–DAD). The yearly arithmetic mean tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration shows relative stability—18.67% in 2019 and 19.03% in 2020 with an overall mean THC content of 18.87% and standard deviation of 10.99%. High‐potency hashish (THC content > 20%) is by far the most predominant type, representing almost 50% of the total Algerian hashish seizures (mean and median around 29%). The overall mean of cannabidiol (CBD) was 2.45%, and 12% of the total studied seizures were of very low CBD concentration (CBD content<1%). Three distinct hashish chemotypes were identified: Chemotype I described the traditional Moroccan hashish with THC content ranging from 0% to 16%, Chemotype II hashish included most of the seizures and characterized by THC content ranging from 16% to 30%, and Chemotype III was characterized by hashish potency higher than 30% and very low CBD content. The identified chemotypes I, II, and III were characterized in a ternary plot, and the relative contents (THC:CBD:CBN) were about 67%:29%:4%, 88%:9%:3%, and 96%:2%:2%, respectively.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 67%

Section: Cbd and Cbd/thc Ratiosupporting

confidence: 81%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 58%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Hashish seizures in Algeria over the 2019–2020 period: The rise of potent hashish hybrids

Boumrah¹,

Kermouche²,

Zarita³

et al. 2022

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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Potency trends of cannabis in Jamaica during the period of 2014 to 2020

Lindsay,

Bernard,

Hammond

et al. 2023

Drug Testing and Analysis

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Reports suggest that cannabis potency has dramatically increased over the last decade in the USA and Europe. Cannabinoids are the terpeno‐phenolic compounds found in the cannabis plant and are responsible for its pharmacological activity. The two most prominent cannabinoids are delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabis potency is measured not only by the Δ9THC levels but also by the ratio of Δ9THC to other non‐psychoactive cannabinoids, namely, CBD. Cannabis use was decriminalized in Jamaica in 2015, which opened the gates for the creation of a regulated medical cannabis industry in the country. To date, there is no information available on the potency of cannabis in Jamaica. In this study, the cannabinoid content of Jamaican‐grown cannabis was examined over the period 2014–2020. Two hundred ninety‐nine herbal cannabis samples were received from 12 parishes across the island, and the levels of the major cannabinoids were determined using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. There was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the median total THC levels of cannabis samples tested between 2014 (1.1%) and 2020 (10.2%). The highest median THC was detected in the central parish of Manchester (21.1%). During the period, THC/CBD ratios increased from 2.1 (2014) to 194.1 (2020), and there was a corresponding increase in the percent freshness of samples (CBN/THC ratios <0.013). The data show that a significant increase in the potency of locally grown cannabis has occurred in Jamaica during the last decade.

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Analytical strategies for herbal Cannabis samples in forensic applications: A comprehensive review

Slosse

Durme

Eliaerts

et al. 2023

WIREs Forensic Science

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Cannabis sativa L. is undoubtedly the most used recreational drug worldwide because of its desired acute psychotropic effects, like relaxation, euphoria and altered perceptions. In addition, promising medical properties of Cannabis components have gained a lot of attention, resulting in a debate to permit recreational Cannabis use in several countries. In recent years, this controversial plant was increasingly studied and a large number of scientific papers were published. Herbal Cannabis consists of a variable and complex matrix, which makes it challenging to properly seize and prepare the sample for qualitative and quantitative analysis. Moreover, both the adoption of legal cut‐off values in different countries for the Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content in seizures, and the emergence of cannabidiol (CBD) based products, containing generally small but variable amounts of THC, urged the need for sensitive and reliable analytical techniques to accurately identify and quantify the components of interest. This review presents detailed information on the procedure prior to analysis and covers chromatographic and spectroscopic methods developed for the analysis of cannabinoids in seizures for different forensic purposes, that is, identification/quantification, potency testing, drug‐ and fiber‐type differentiation, age estimation, yield determination and Cannabis profiling. Advantages and drawbacks of existing methods, within a specific forensic context, are discussed. The application of chemometrics, which offers a powerful tool in interpreting complex data, is also explained. This article is categorized under: Toxicology > Cannabis Toxicology > Drug Analysis Forensic Chemistry and Trace Evidence > Presentation and Evaluation of Forensic Science Output

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Cannabis potency in North-East Italy: A ten-year study (2010–2019)

Cited by 12 publications

References 13 publications

Hashish seizures in Algeria over the 2019–2020 period: The rise of potent hashish hybrids

Hashish seizures in Algeria over the 2019–2020 period: The rise of potent hashish hybrids

Potency trends of cannabis in Jamaica during the period of 2014 to 2020

Analytical strategies for herbal Cannabis samples in forensic applications: A comprehensive review

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