Cannabis sold in Europe "contains FAECES because smugglers use laxatives to expel pellets"

Scientists have discovered that cannabis sold in the streets of Europe can be contaminated with faeces.

Samples sold in Madrid were tested and revealed three-quarters of E. coli – diarrhea and vomiting can be transmitted through human stools.

Most of the samples were too dangerous to consume and posed a "public health risk," the researchers said.

Although the study was conducted only in Spain, an expert explained to MailOnline that the same "unusual" phenomenon could occur in the UK and in other regions of the world. # 39; Europe.

This is due to the way the drug is sometimes smuggled into countries – by swallowing it and then excreting it with the use of laxatives.

Experts said the results are worrisome given that some people who use cannabis do so to try to solve their health problems.

Tons of cannabis sold in Europe's streets can be contaminated with faeces, scientists in Madrid have discovered

The research team, led by José Manuel Moreno Pérez, a pharmacologist at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, collected 90 samples in Madrid in one year.

The samples were separated into "tassels" or "ingots", in which they were purchased.

Each sample was then broken down into smaller pieces and examined under a microscope, the authors write in Forensic Science International.

They found that 93% of the glans-shaped samples were contaminated with E. coli, as well as 29.4% of the ingot samples.

About 10% of cannabis samples were also contaminated with Aspergillus, a dangerous fungus that can cause serious health problems, such as lung infections.

In total, 88.3% of the cannabis samples were unsuitable for consumption, depending on the amount of E. coli contamination allowed by the EU and US guidelines.

Odors from each sample were also recorded and 40% of the acorns had a fecal aroma, the researchers said. All were contaminated with E. coli.

The research team, led by José Manuel Moreno Pérez, a pharmacologist at the Complutense University of Madrid, examined 90 samples under the microscope. In the photo, a form of glans

This has led researchers to suggest that the way cannabis is transported into the country – where it is illegal – may be to blame.

Pérez told the Spanish newspaper El País that cannabis was packed in small plastic pellets and swallowed before drug traffickers "take a laxative and expel them" into a toilet.

The acorns are then sold by resellers to unsuspecting users who, according to the authors, might believe that the contamination can not cause harm if inhaled.

Ian Hamilton, a lecturer in mental health and addiction at the University of York, told MailOnline that the findings were "very unusual" because it would be associated with the smuggling of a drug like cocaine.

He said, "It shows how much you do not know what you will be exposed to. The same thing could happen in the UK as in Madrid.

However, he added that E. coli contamination could have been caused by the people who treated the drugs.

He added that the results are of particular concern for people with health problems who use cannabis.

"We know that some people who have health problems use cannabis to try to alleviate their problems. This group will be particularly vulnerable to this type of contamination, which could worsen their underlying health problem.

"The risk of exposure to this type of bacteria is still present in an illegal market where some dealers and suppliers are not subject to any quality control."

People with weakened immune systems or those with lung diseases, such as asthma or cystic fibrosis, are at a higher risk of developing health problems caused by the Aspergillus fungus.

The findings, according to the authors, are similar to those of a study involving cannabis samples sold in cafes in the Netherlands, which also revealed that 80% of them were contaminated with E. coli.