Problematic Use of Cannabis in Cotonou: Profile of Some Subjects Received in the Laboratory Between 2016 and 2021

Aims: The frequent use of cannabis by certain social strata often induces behavioral changes whose severity deserves to be evaluated. This study aims to describe the profile of some subjects in a situation of cannabis dependence received at the National Laboratory of Narcotics and Toxicology over the period from January 2016 to December 2021. . The approach of direct interviews with the respondents using a semistructured questionnaire made it possible to collect their sociodemographic characteristics, their experiences, and their reference trajectories.

Results: A total of 48 patients, all single, with an average age of 18.13 ± 0.48 years, the majority of whom were male (77.08%) and of Beninese nationality (85.42%), were enrolled. They were pupils (58.34%), students (27.08%), and workers (14.58%). With a prevalence of consumption of 89.58%, the first experimentation of cannabis was done by imitation (83.3%), among friends (81.2%), and in schools (64.58%). The reasons for use include the search for thrills (29.20%) and the improvement of sexual energy performance (27.1%). Subjects between 64.58 and 79.17% reported having received complaints about their behavior after regular consumption of at least 3 joints of cannabis.

Conclusion: The knowledge of the typical profile of subjects in a situation of dependence ensures early detection of problematic uses of cannabis and offers the opportunity to intervene a little earlier in front of this phenomenon.