Palermo, cannabis and the mafia: How illegal drug control keeps high-strength marijuana out of Sicily's capital

Study reveals lack of most dangerous cannabis strains in drug trade controlled by organised criminals

Palermo's streets have been free of the most dangerous forms of cannabis (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Organised crime appears to be succeeding where many governments have failed in stopping people from sampling the most dangerous strains of cannabis.

While illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine are sold in Sicily, data revealed the capital, Palermo, was completely free of high-potency skunk.

This appears to be an unexpected positive of criminal activity, given the link the research revealed between such drugs and mental health problems.

Dr Marta Di Forti, who comes from Palermo, made this realisation while working on a major new study exploring the link between cannabis use and psychosis in cities across Europe.

She noticed that none of the high-strength cannabis seen in cities like London and Amsterdam appeared to be a problem in her home town.

“The only four people that reported in the Palermo area were four [subjects] who went on holiday to Amsterdam and tried high potency while on holiday,” she said.

She said this was likely the result of the quirks of Sicily’s drug market.

“The Palermo drug market is still mostly dominated by cocaine and opiates because organised crime has got control over these – or hasish, which is the type of cannabis that has got the least THC in southern Europe,” Dr Di Forti explained.

THC is thought to be responsible for the onset of psychotic conditions linked with cannabis, and in their study the scientists classed any form with more than 10 per cent THC as high potency.

In France and Spain, herbal forms of cannabis with a low THC content are popular, but there are still cases of people using stronger forms.

The study is based on data collected between 2010 and 2015, so it may be that the situation is shifting, according to Dr Di Forti.

“Colleagues from Palermo tell me that they are beginning to see people using high potency, but nothing like we see in London and definitely nothing at the time of the study,” she said.

As for why organised criminals in the city have preserved their customers’ health by sticking to weaker strains, she said this could be down to any number of cultural and practical reasons.

“You need to ask the latest mafia boss,” she said.