'Skunk seven times as harmful' as solid hash

Published on Monday 30 November 2009 21:54

POWERFUL "skunk" cannabis is seven times more likely to trigger psychotic illnesses, such as schizophrenia, than traditional solid hash. The new research findings, published yesterday, lend support to claims that the drug is in a class of its own.

Skunk is a form of cannabis that contains high levels of the psychoactive ingredient delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Previous research has shown that pure THC can induce psychotic symptoms, including hallucinations and paranoid delusions. Some experts believe skunk is so potent it should be treated on a par with Class A drugs cocaine and Ecstasy.

Skunk dominates the cannabis market and its price has dropped to less than 5 a gram. This makes it as affordable as milder forms of the drug, which was one of the chief reasons the government decided to upgrade cannabis from Class C to Class B status.

Dr Marta di Forti, of the Institute of Psychiatry in London, who led the research published yesterday in the British Journal of Psychiatry, said: "Our most striking finding is that patients with a first episode of psychosis preferentially used high-potency cannabis preparations of the skunk variety."