×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Tuesday
05
May 2026
weather symbol
Athens 22°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> World

How California’s legal cannabis dream became a public health nightmare

It's led to spiraling addiction, psychotic illnesses and hospitals facing a deluge of poisonings

Newsroom July 5 04:00

Δείτε περισσότερα άρθρα μας στα αποτελέσματα αναζήτησης

Add Protothema.gr on Google

A row of luxury ‘healing’ creams is guarded by a locked glass cabinet, gilded in gold trim.

The packaging is stylishly minimal – clean and white with small black typeface – and beside the tubs sit decorative, artificial fruit and images of sprawling fields, with a small flyer to remind customers of the high-quality, organic nature of the products.

I spot one pot – a snip at $43, or roughly £35 – that is specifically designed for ‘replenishing and rejuvenating’ tissues in the, er, vagina. Alongside me, expensively dressed customers peruse the goods, clutching colourful iced smoothies and juices.

I’m in upmarket Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, California, in one of the area’s many so-called ‘wellness’ shops, just a stone’s throw from designer boutiques such as Gucci and Saint Laurent. It’s a far cry from Holland & Barrett, not least because all the products here at the Serra boutique contain high-grade, genetically engineered cannabis.

See Also:

World War II Warship Discovered in Deep Waters

>Related articles

The “Greek spring” with the Gulf Arabs: today Mitsotakis in Abu Dhabi

The Mafia call center: The Tirana-based “company” that scammed Greeks and Europeans

Ceasefire on the brink of collapse: The US strikes Iranian speedboats in Hormuz, Iran hits oil facilities in the UAE

There are balms and lotions, things to eat and, of course, to smoke. One display cabinet showcases dozens of dried cannabis flowers, each bud sitting in its own pretty porcelain dish, labelled according to its supposed benefit: happiness, creativity, relaxation.

In another cabinet is a perfect grid of individual chocolate truffles, priced up to £5 a pop, a bit like something you’d find in the food hall in a department store. Only these sweet treats are laced with 10mg of THC, the psychoactive component in the marijuana plant.

Read more: Daily Mail

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

#california#cannabis#drugs#health#narcotics#nightmare#usa#world
> More World

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

The “Greek spring” with the Gulf Arabs: today Mitsotakis in Abu Dhabi

May 5, 2026

The new trailer for Nolan’s “Odyssey” is breathtaking: the Cyclops, Hathaway as an impressive Penelope, and Pattinson

May 5, 2026

The unknown story of Hezbollah in Lebanon: Two worlds, one country held hostage

May 5, 2026

IDEAL Holdings: Plan for attica’s entry into Euronext Athens and public share offering

May 5, 2026

Metro: Which Line 2 stations close earlier today

May 5, 2026

Ryanair’s base at “Macedonia” airport up in the air, concerns over blow to Thessaloniki tourism

May 5, 2026

The Mafia call center: The Tirana-based “company” that scammed Greeks and Europeans

May 5, 2026

Athens College: Mitsotakis’ “warning bells” for the future and the eventful history of the elite school

May 5, 2026
All News

> Greece

In reverence, the emotional deposition in Jerusalem, see photos & video

The Holy Temple of the Resurrection opened after many days due to the war between Israel and Iran

April 10, 2026

In the final stretch for the accreditation of joint master’s degrees: Aiming for their launch in the coming academic year

April 10, 2026

Schedule for Epitaph Procession today (10/4)

April 10, 2026

Perfect weather for Easter excursions, according to Tsatrafyllia’s forecast

April 10, 2026

Easter in Greece: The customs that continue in Greek tradition – From Nafpaktos to Corfu

April 10, 2026
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2026 Πρώτο Θέμα