Trend of Δ9-THC content of cannabis resin seized in Morocco from 2005 to 2014

This study aims to determine the evolution of the content of the psychoactive principle Delta 9-THC in a series of 1004 samples of cannabis resin seized in Morocco between 2005 and 2014. It shows an upward trend compared to the average of 8% reported in the 2004 UNODC report, as contents evolved from the range 0.6%-16.8% in 2005-2006 to 0,5%-25% in 2014. The increase had been felt significantly in 2007 for the category of resins dosed between 10% and 20% in Delta 9-THC (frequency 40% in 2007 vs. 17% in 2005-2006) and continued by the appearance in 2009 of new high-dose resins to over 20% (5% of seizures). This is explained by the introduction of new hybrid seed (Cannabis indica L.) imported from Europe. In contrast, during the same period, the class underdosed Delta 9-THC (less than 10%), corresponding to the traditional cultures of Kif (Cannabis sativa L.) has sharply declined but without disappearing, going from 83% of seizures in 2005-2006 to 55% in 2014. The class of new hybrid varieties (C. indica L.) rich in Delta 9-THC is distinguished by the high prevalence of the chemical precursor of the active compound, THCA. The enrichment of Delta 9-THC observed in seizures of cannabis resin in Morocco over the last decade is consistent with the trend generally recorded in Europe (since 2004) and the USA (from 2004-2008). (C) 2015 Societe Francaise de Toxicologie Analytique. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.