Blue Buddha: The Synthetic Cannabinoid Blowing Peoples’ Heads Off

Blow Your Brains Out. This is the nickname of a new synthetic drug, also called PTC (“Pète ton crâne” in French) or Blue Buddha. This synthetic cannabinoid has become increasingly popular among young people in recent years. In early February, three French high school students from Sucy-en-Brie in the Val-de-Marne were hospitalized after vaping the drug.

Although users of all ages can consume Blue Buddha in all forms, it is mainly the younger generation using it in the form of an odorless and colorless liquid in electronic cigarettes.

What Is Blue Buddha

Blue Buddha contains no THC (or tetrahydrocannabinol), one of the molecules in cannabis causing psychotropic effects. However, it mimics its effects, producing a “zombie-like” effect, according to Laurent Karila, professor of addictology, a psychiatrist at the Paul Brousse hospital, and creator of the podcast Addiktion.

“The effects are quite similar to those of cannabis at first.” There is the sensation of appeasement, relaxation and anxiolytic effect, which then develop into hallucinations, to “an impression that what surrounds us is not real, that our body goes out of our body.”

Blue Buddha Causes Heart Attacks, Hallucinations, and Panic Attacks

Blue Buddha causes acute intoxications leading to hospitalizations more frequently than cannabis. “The big difference with cannabis is that there are more overdoses, whether fatal or not, as well as complications,” explains the professor.

They can first manifest as cardiac problems, with heart arrhythmias, tachycardia, or even a heart attack. PTC can also cause breathing difficulties, headaches, and lead to strokes. There are also psychiatric complications with the onset of depression, delusions, panic attacks, and even suicidal thoughts.

“It is much, much more dangerous for the health than cannabis, summarizes the psychiatrist. And in a young person who does not yet have a formed brain, the risk is even higher. If no death has so far been recorded in France following consuming Blue Buddha, in the United States, several people died after consuming it.

A Drug Not Detectable by the Usual Tests

Although illegal, Bue Buddha can be bought in a few clicks on the internet and costs only a few dozen euros, giving it an accessibility that’s all the more worrying. Moreover, the small vials of e-liquid and bags are “heavily marketed, very colorful, and have catchy names,” as explained by Laurent Karila.

As there is no THC in synthetic cannabinoids, the use of Blue Buddha is not detectable by the tests classically used to identify cannabis. “Young people are smart because they know better.” 

Synthetic cannabinoids like Blue Buddha “are coming under the microscope in France because of their increasing penetration into the territory,” explains the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Trends (OFDT). Nearly 4% of French youth under the age of 17 would have experimented at least once with a new synthetic drug, according to a study published in 2018.

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(Featured image by Pawan Parihar via Pexels)

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