Synthetic cannabinoids: The French DGS issues a national alert in response to the rise in cases of poisoning among teenagers

An urgent circular from the Directorate General for Health (DGS), dated June 11, 2026, sounds the alarm about a significant increase in cases of poisoning from synthetic cannabinoids in France, primarily affecting minors.

E-liquids marketed as legal are at the heart of the problem

Since early 2025, health surveillance systems have recorded a sharp increase in reports related to vaping e-liquids containing synthetic cannabinoids, chemicals that most often mimic the effects of THC, but with significantly more power.

These products, which are often odorless and colorless, are frequently marketed under misleading labels such as “CBD” or simply as e-liquids, without users being aware of their actual composition.

Detecting them is difficult because they are not routinely tested for in standard biological toxicology analyses, and because some emerging substances even elude standard hospital analytical methods.

500 cases reported, 71% severe, two deaths

Between early 2025 and late April 2026, approximately 500 reports were recorded by the network of Centers for the Assessment and Information on Drug Dependence and Addiction Surveillance (CEIP-A). More than 70% of the cases involved young people aged 13 to 18, the majority of whom were male. Of these, 71% are classified as serious, with two deaths recorded, one related to repeated seizures and the other to suicide.

The clinical presentations described are varied, which complicates the rapid identification of cases: agitation, confusion, seizures, hallucinations, panic attacks, tachycardia, chest pain, and nausea. In the most severe cases, acute multi-organ failure has been observed, involving neurological, cardiovascular, and metabolic complications.

The DGS places particular emphasis on the need for increased vigilance in schools and after-school settings, in coordination with the National Education Department. Schools appear to be a significant channel for the distribution of these products to minors, which justifies a targeted and coordinated prevention approach.

Healthcare professionals are urged to systematically refer any patient showing signs of serious illness to the emergency room, to preserve the suspected substance for analysis if possible, and to raise awareness among adolescents, even when the substances have been presented to them as legal or harmless.

Signaling and monitoring systems

The circular calls for the prompt reporting of any suspected or confirmed cases via the Adverse Health Event Reporting Portal (signalement.social-sante.gouv.fr), by selecting the “Addictovigilance” or “Toxicovigilance” form depending on the clinical situation.

In addition, the SINTES (National Identification System for Toxic and Hazardous Substances) program of the OFDT offers free and anonymous analysis of collected samples, enabling the identification of emerging synthetic cannabinoids, including those not detected in routine hospital testing. Contact: [email protected] or 01 41 62 77 37.

For users or their loved ones, Drogues Info Service is available 24/7 from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. at 0 800 23 13 13 (anonymous and toll-free).

The major omission from the DGAL's inspection plan

This alert from the DGS comes amid an administrative situation that is paradoxical, to say the least. While the Directorate General for Health is sounding the alarm about the synthetic cannabinoids narcotics which are polluting the e-liquid market and claiming victims among teenagers, the DGAL (Directorate-General for Food) presented in April 2026 a national inspection plan targeting… legal CBD products.

Oils, gummies, and dietary supplements containing natural cannabinoids: this is what the administration intends to remove from the market, based on a strict interpretation of the Novel Food Regulation and non-binding scientific opinions from the EFSA. Synthetic cannabinoids, on the other hand, are not covered by these measures. And for good reason: they fall under criminal law, not food law.

The industry's professional unions, the SPC, theUIVEC, theAFPC and theUPCBD explicitly demanded, during their protest against the DGAL plan, that inspections be refocused on the real health hazards: those that the DGS has just documented with 500 reports over the past sixteen months.

The result of this institutional inconsistency is striking: the government is mobilizing its resources to crack down on 10% CBD oils sold in stores with full labeling, while colorless, odorless e-liquids containing K2 or Buddha Blue circulate freely in high school hallways…