CBD Products: Health Authorities Warn of Significant Increase in Poisonings

The ANSM and ANSES are sounding the alarm. Resin, e-cigarette liquids, and even candy: some CBD products sold in stores or online contain other substances, rarely identified on the packaging, whose consumption is causing a significant increase in poisoning, the two national health agencies warned on Thursday, June 19.

"Since the beginning of 2024, several hundred cases of poisoning have been recorded among people who consumed products presented as containing CBD," after reporting to poison control and toxicovigilance centers or to drug dependence-addictovigilance assessment and information centers, these health agencies indicate in a press release .

These products, whose consumption has become commonplace in recent years, are sold in stores, in vending machines or on the internet in the form of e-liquids for electronic cigarettes, smoked products (resins, flowers) or even foodstuffs (oils, capsules, sweets, chocolates, etc.).

But "very often the composition announced - particularly on the labels - does not correspond to the actual composition", and "in the majority of cases, poisonings are caused by prohibited substances present in these products, such as synthetic cannabinoids, without the consumer's knowledge or THC levels (the active ingredient in cannabis - editor's note) higher than 0.3%", explain the ANSM and Anses.

People (adolescents, young adults, forty-somethings, etc.) who think they have only consumed CBD find themselves with "varied and sometimes serious" symptoms: fatigue, drowsiness, nausea, headaches, anxiety, dizziness, vomiting, tachycardia, acute anxiety attacks, states of agitation accompanied by hallucinations, loss of consciousness, suicidal thoughts or behavior, epileptic seizures, etc.

The effects, generally linked to the presence of THC or synthetic cannabinoids (HHC, HHC-O, H4-CBD, MDMB-PINACA, etc.), can occur regardless of the duration, frequency or form in which the product was consumed: smoked, vaped or ingested, observe the health agencies.

And it is also important to keep CBD-based products, which are sometimes attractively presented, out of reach of children because accidental ingestion can cause particularly serious effects in them, warn ANSM and Anses.

Currently, foods containing CBD (oils, capsules, candies or chocolate, gummies, syrups, cakes and other culinary preparations), all of which are potentially risky for health, are not authorized for sale in the European Union.

As for products containing synthetic cannabinoids or CBD with THC at a rate higher than 0.3%, they are classified as narcotics, and their sale, purchase and consumption are prohibited for all uses (ingesting, vaping, smoking, etc.).

In the event of unexpected or adverse effects after consuming a CBD product, authorities recommend immediately calling 15 if there is a risk of life-threatening distress (loss of consciousness, fainting, etc.) and, in other cases, consulting a doctor or calling a poison control center. If any product remains, it is advisable to keep it for possible analysis.