1. Increasing potency and price of cannabis in Europe, 2006‐2016
2019 Working Group Meeting for Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice
Teodora Groshkova
27-28 May 2019

2. …on behalf of University of Bath EMCDDA King’s College London
Tom Freeman
EMCDDA
Teodora Groshkova
Andrew Cunningham
Roumen Sedefov
Paul Griffiths
King’s College London
Michael Lynksey

3. Cannabis, THC, CBD THC (delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol)
Intoxicating
Anxiety & psychotic symptoms
Addiction
CBD (cannabidiol)
Non-intoxicating
Anxiety & psychotic symptoms
Addiction

4. Limited international literature
…evidence of increasing potency in some drug markets for both herb and resin
Quantify cannabis potency at European level
Better understand health effects of cannabis
Inform policy decisions for harm minimisation

5. Methods EMCDDA retail potency & price (unadjusted), 2006-16
Expected changes based on annual inflation from Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices
Adjusted outcome variables
Changes in THC per € spent (value)
Mixed effects linear regression models
STROBE (strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology) statement

6. Trends in herbal cannabis
 from 5-10% THC
 from €7-12 per gram
Similar dose of THC (mg) per € spent
= expected change based on inflation (Eurostat)

7. Trends in cannabis resin
 from 8-17% THC
 from €8-12 per gram
 from mg THC
per € spent
= expected change based on inflation (Eurostat)

8. Strengths Quantify changes in potency, price and value
Separate estimates for cannabis herb and resin in Europe; evidence for increases
Internationally relevant information for policy & practice

9. …and limitations
Possible sampling bias (police seizures and police surveys data)
Data collection methods may vary
Missing data
CBD data not collected

10. Thank you