Legal synthetic cannabinoids: Customs issues an alert

French customs and national health agencies are sounding the alarm about the rise of synthetic cannabinoids.Authorities claim that certain products on the market contain dangerous substances, as evidenced by the hundreds of poisoning cases recorded since 2024.

Where does the danger come from?

According to laboratory analyses, some products contain compounds such as’EDMB-4en-PINACA, a synthetic compound with very powerful psychoactive effects.

Customs has issued a warning: «This molecule, once sprayed on CBD flowers, becomes extremely harmful, and a single inhalation can cause serious effects such as hallucinations, agitation, panic attacks, or even heart rhythm disorders that can lead to emergency hospitalization.».

These synthetic substances can be hundreds of times more potent than cannabidiol and much more unpredictable than natural cannabinoids.

Customs and the DGCCRF laboratory in Paris report that a set of new substances, marginal in 2024, already represented approximately 30% synthetic cannabinoids analyzed in 2025. Since the end of May, authorities have seized approximately 274 kg of these adulterants in several places in the country. Most of the interceptions – about 87% – took place via express and postal freight.

Who manufactures and distributes these products?

Customs investigations reveal that these products are manufactured outside of France, using chemical precursors imported from Asia. Due to the lack of European harmonization and a clear regulatory framework in France, the actual composition of these products is not always accurately listed on packaging. Furthermore, retailers may source their products from jurisdictions with much more lenient regulations, further complicating quality control.

«Many professionals are a bit lost and don't know themselves what is legal or illegal,» he said. Paul MacLean, president of the CBD Professionals Union (UPCBD), at 20minutes.ch. He added that he was ready to cooperate with the authorities, arguing that broader regulatory reform, or even the legalization of THC, would remove the incentives for these adulterations: «If we legalize THC tomorrow, all these synthetic molecules will disappear.»

The clinical presentation and public health response

Health agencies, notably the’ANSM and the’ANSES, The alerts were joined after hundreds of poisoning cases were reported since the beginning of 2024. The symptoms described by clinicians range from nausea, dizziness, and tachycardia to acute psychiatric events such as panic, hallucinations, loss of consciousness, and suicidal ideation.

Toxicologists report that many victims are young adults who bought CBD flowers to relax and who were not regular cannabis users. Specialists emphasize that this is not the CBD himself who causes these episodes, but the undeclared presence of synthetic analogues (derived from HHC, variants of EDMB...).

Authorities are urging consumers, health professionals, and retailers to remain vigilant: test results and case reports show that some products sold as containing exclusively CBD may be deceptively potent. The customs laboratory and pharmacovigilance centers are continuing their coordinated surveillance; consumers are encouraged to report adverse effects.