Cannabis is changing dimensions. The most recent data reveals a “significant increase in potency” of cannabis with much higher levels of THC, its psychoactive substance, Europol says. Generating profits estimated at 11.4 billion euros per year, cannabis trafficking in Europe represents the largest drug market on the continent, surpassing that of cocaine, according to a joint report from the European police office and the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).
The average potency of herbal cannabis thus jumped by 57% between 2010 and 2021 while that of resin soared by almost 200% during the same period, raising “new health concerns for consumers”, notes Europol , which estimates that more than 22 million people used the drug last year in Europe.
Several countries advocate legalization for recreational purposes
Criminal gangs involved in cannabis trafficking have also joined forces to “provide services ranging from production to distribution,” the agency said. Methods for transporting cannabis have also diversified with traffickers now using drones, helicopters or unmanned semi-submersible vessels.
The illegal cultivation of this plant has also had an environmental impact due to the “significant” use of water and polluting chemicals, according to Europol. An indoor cultivation site of 500 cannabis plants would thus consume between “1.6 and 2 million liters of water per year”, calculates Europol, almost as much as an Olympic swimming pool (2.5 million liters ).
Several European countries, including the Czech Republic, Germany and Luxembourg, have recently advocated the legalization of the use of cannabis for recreational purposes.