WP 4

Cannabis remains the most predominantly consumed illicit drug in Europe and recent policy changes in the Americas have been followed by the development of new products and alternative administration forms. The prevalence of cannabis use remains high and in some EU states increases have been monitoring through WBE has been challenging due to the characteristics of its main biomarker, THC-COOH. Issues still remain due to the lack of information regarding the fraction of cannabis biomarkers adsorbed onto suspended solids that may lead to an underestimation of consumption through WBE. Through a thorough investigation of this aspect, the data obtained within EuSeME will allow reefing the estimations of cannabis consumption through wastewater analysis and provide a WBE method that is as straightforward, cost-effective and reliable for cannabis as for other conventional illicit drugs.