[Cannabis and adolescents in Spain: use and consequences. State of play].

Abstract

Objective: The use and abuse of cannabis produces lifelong socio-health consequences. However, there is a great movement towards its legalization. The purpose of this study was to assess the evolution of the prevalence of drug use in the young population in Spain, as well as the impact it currently has on our social and health care system.

Methods: A national observational descriptive study was carried out in students aged fourteen-eighteen years living in Spain. The data sources used were: ESTUDES survey; Evolutionary data from Intelligence Center against Terrorism and Organized Crime (CITCO) on THC content in cannabis plants and resin; State Information System on Drugs and Addictions (SEIDA) indicators: Admissions to treatment and Hospital emergencies related to the consumption of psychoactive substances. The data obtained were processed with the statistical program SPSS version 28.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp). Continuous variables were described using measures of central tendency and dispersion, while categorical variables were described using absolute frequencies and percentages. To compare independent means, Student's t-test was applied and for the comparison of categorical variables, the chi-square statistical test was used; in both cases differences with p<0.001 were considered significant.

Results: In the last year, 21.8% of the students consumed cannabis. A total of 92.3% of the admissions to treatment were for this substance. Cannabis was present in 57.3% of emergencies related to illegal drug use.

Conclusions: As is the case in Europe, cannabis continues to be the illegal drug most widely consumed by young people in our country; it is responsible for most of the social and health adverse consequences of the consumption of illegal substances in young people.