Else Beekman
The Spanish government has raised concerns about a sharp increase in seizures of a new designer drug known as clefedrone (4-CMC). This psychoactive substance has recently emerged in Spain, particularly at festivals and leisure events, with the first major seizure occurring in Burgos in 2022 during an international anti-drug operation.
The government, responding to a parliamentary question, highlighted that the European Union’s Early Warning System recorded a staggering 676% rise in clefedrone seizures across the continent. In 2023 alone, authorities reported 582 detections of the drug, compared to just 75 in the previous year.
Despite this increase in seizures, there is still little information about clefedrone’s consumption patterns within Spain itself. The drug was added to the United Nations’ list of controlled substances in late 2021, under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971. Just months later, in May 2022, the Spanish National Police made their first notable bust, confiscating 20 kilos of 4-CMC in Burgos. The drugs were traced back to the Netherlands, originating from Amsterdam, and were linked to an international drug trafficking ring led by a Bulgarian woman operating under a Dutch cartel.
Clefedrone’s presence at festivals
The rise of clefedrone has not gone unnoticed at major events. Over the past summer, the drug was detected at Primavera Sound, one of Spain’s most renowned music festivals, held in Barcelona. The substance was disguised as MDMA, sold in pink, square-shaped pills bearing the logo of a popular clothing brand.
Energy Control, a Spanish drug-checking organisation, warned that clefedrone, which first appeared on the market in 2014 alongside its isomer 3-CMC, has unknown long-term effects. While its short-term effects are described as similar to those of MDMA—such as heightened mood and sociability—its side effects include typical stimulant-related risks like heart palpitations, agitation, and in severe cases, cardiac arrest and psychosis.
Increasing concern for public health
In a statement, Spain’s Ministry of the Interior explained that clefedrone works by increasing the concentration of dopamine in the brain. Therefore, it is particularly attractive to recreational users. However, officials warn that the drug carries significant health risks, with some users experiencing dangerous side effects that mirror those of other amphetamine-type stimulants.