Colonel Juan Carlos Poey Guerra, head of the Specialized Anti-Drug Combat Body of the MININT, officially acknowledged that the drug issue is no longer a phenomenon confined to specific areas of the country, but has spread throughout the island.
According to the official Granma, the official stated that "the phenomenon is evident in all provinces, and substances such as methamphetamine and synthetic cannabinoids are the most prevalent."
The statement was made at a meeting of the Working Group for the Prevention and Confrontation of Crime, Illegal Activities, and Social Indiscipline, chaired by the Vice President of the Republic, Salvador Valdés Mesa, and the Deputy Prime Minister Eduardo Martínez Díaz.
The admission of Poey Guerra marks a significant shift in the official discourse: until recently, the authorities tended to frame the issue as geographically limited or primarily linked to international trafficking.
Among the substances mentioned, synthetic cannabinoids—commonly referred to in Cuba as "el químico," "kimiko," or "papelito"—have become the most widely used drug domestically. They are infused onto strips of paper and smoked, and their price, ranging from 150 to 250 Cuban pesos per dose (less than a dollar), makes them accessible even to teenagers in a context of severe economic crisis.
The magnitude of the problem is reflected in the health data: the cases treated in emergency rooms in Havana related to synthetic cannabinoids increased from 467 in 2024 to 886 in 2025, nearly doubling, according to official figures cited by Associated Press.
Cuban authorities have identified at least 40 variants of these substances circulating in the country, some adulterated with fentanyl, formaldehyde, benzodiazepines, and veterinary anesthetics, significantly increasing the risk of severe poisoning, seizures, and psychosis.
Regarding the origin of the "químico," Poey Guerra himself had previously indicated that the synthetic drug mainly comes from abroad, particularly from the United States, via air, sea, and postal mail.
In the same meeting, William Pérez González, first deputy of the General Customs of the Republic, emphasized that the borders must operate as a "permanent and rigorous combat system against the issue of drugs."
Poey Guerra specified that the actions of the MININT aim to "strengthen the levels of prevention and confrontation against drug-related crimes, as well as to guarantee a permanent working system that halts their evolution, with indicators and evaluations that allow us to define how the problem has been addressed, and how many consumers have been reintegrated and rehabilitated."
Las Tunas, one of the most affected provinces, reported a 81.4% increase in consumption cases between 2024 and 2025, with the highest incidence group being between 14 and 25 years old, and cases documented since the age of eight. In June 2026, that province inaugurated the first Provincial Drug Observatory in the country, identifying synthetic cannabinoids as the most widespread substance.
Vice President Valdés Mesa called for "a more rigorous approach to combating criminal phenomena within various institutions and organizations" and for "permanent and stable control to be elevated, and to strengthen confrontation plans to achieve better results."
The legal framework has also tightened: the People's Supreme Court approved Opinion 476 in August 2025, which imposes penalties of one to three years in prison or fines for possession and consumption of drugs.
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