20% of Synthetic Cannabinoid Users Among Police Detainees Reduced or Stopped Natural Cannabis Use | Research

The takeaway

Among police detainees in New Zealand, 96% of legal high users had used synthetic cannabinoids, and 20% of those who also used natural cannabis reported reducing or stopping cannabis due to synthetic cannabinoid availability.

Read this if you are interested in how the availability of synthetic cannabinoids affects patterns of natural cannabis use.

20% of synthetic cannabinoid users reduced or stopped natural cannabis; 6% increased cannabis use.

What the researchers found

Researchers interviewed 848 police detainees about their drug use, with a focus on whether legal highs (primarily synthetic cannabinoids) substituted for illegal drugs.

Among legal high users, 96% had used synthetic cannabinoids (SC), and 94% of those reporting substitution had substituted natural cannabis. Overall, 20% of SC+cannabis users reported reducing or stopping cannabis, while only 6% reported using more cannabis.

However, the picture was complex. All SC users had higher baseline cannabis consumption regardless of substitution behavior. SC users who reported using more cannabis also used more methamphetamine and ecstasy, suggesting a polysubstance pattern rather than simple substitution.

SC users were more likely to have recently been in drug treatment, suggesting this population may have been seeking alternatives to manage use.

Why it matters

The question of whether legal highs substitute for or complement illegal drug use has significant policy implications. A 20% reduction in cannabis use among SC users suggests modest substitution, but the finding that SC users consumed more cannabis overall complicates the harm reduction argument.

The numbers in context

848 detainees. 96% of LH users used synthetic cannabinoids. 94% of substituters replaced cannabis. 54% never used SC. 34% used SC without changing cannabis. 9% used SC and reduced/stopped cannabis. 3% used SC and increased cannabis.

How the study worked

Cross-sectional survey of 848 detainees at four central police stations in New Zealand. Detainees were interviewed about drug and legal high use and asked what impact legal high use had on their other drug use. Groups were compared on demographics and substance use levels.

What this study cannot tell us

Police detainee population is not representative of all drug users. Self-reported substitution behavior may not be reliable. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causation. The "legal" status of synthetic cannabinoids was specific to New Zealand's regulatory context at the time.

How to read the evidence

Preliminary evidence from a cross-sectional survey of a specific population (police detainees) with inherent selection bias.

When this study was published

Published in 2016. New Zealand has since reformed its synthetic cannabinoid regulations.

The bigger picture

The New Zealand experience with legal synthetic cannabinoids (before the Psychoactive Substances Act) offers a natural experiment on substitution effects. While some substitution occurred, synthetic cannabinoids brought their own health risks, and the net public health impact depends on the relative harms of natural versus synthetic cannabinoids.

Questions still open

Did the substitution of natural cannabis with synthetic cannabinoids result in more or less harm? Would legal cannabis reduce synthetic cannabinoid use? Do the health risks of synthetic cannabinoids outweigh any benefits from reduced natural cannabis use?

Common questions

Do synthetic cannabinoids replace natural cannabis?

In this study of police detainees, about 20% of people who used both synthetic and natural cannabis reported reducing or stopping natural cannabis. However, synthetic cannabinoid users consumed more cannabis overall, and 6% actually increased their cannabis use.

Is this substitution good or bad for health?

The study did not directly assess health outcomes. Synthetic cannabinoids are generally considered more dangerous than natural cannabis due to their higher potency and unpredictable effects, so substitution may increase rather than decrease overall harm.

Read the original research

Do police arrestees substitute legal highs for other drugs?

The International journal on drug policy, 31, 74-9

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Wilkins, Chris; Parker, Karl; Prasad, Jitesh; Jawalkar, Sonie. (2016). Do police arrestees substitute legal highs for other drugs?. The International journal on drug policy, 31, 74-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2016.01.006