Ethnobotanical and Cannabis Drug Use: A Step Between Danger and Pleasure

The study aimed to identify the risk factors and the particularities of ethnobotanicals and cannabis users who needed medical care in the Emergency Department of the „Sf. Spiridon” County Hospital.

Retrospective study conducted over a period of 18 months (January 1, 2015- June 30, 2016). This study included all patients who presented to the E.D. after drug (cannabis and ethnobotanicals) consumption. The variables studied for creating the consumer profile were sex, age, social background, method of consumption, clinical and laboratory changes.

The study included 153 patients brought to hospital by ambulance (71.89%) for cannabis or ethnobotanical poisoning. Most patients were males (92.15%) from urban areas (75.97%), aged between 18 and 24 years (52.28%). At the time of admission to ED 96.07% of them needed medical care for consumption of ethnobotanicals through various methods and only 3.92% were brought to hospital for cannabis or marijuana use. For 61.70% of patients, curiosity was the reason behind their addiction. Toxicology testing (qualitative urine analysis) was useful in identifying the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol(THC) or a combination of THC and barbiturates, benzodiazepines, opioids in 26.53% of ethnobotanical and 66.67% of cannabis users.

In Romania, the most commonly used drugs are cannabis followed by ethnobotanical products. For a while, ethnobotanical products were falsely considered as risk-free, but they contain dangerous substances with devastating effects, which, unless treatment is initiated immediately, can lead to death.