Synthetic Cannabinoids: Crisis of The Decade (original) (raw)
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Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Adverse Effects of Synthetic Cannabinoid Drugs
Synthetic cannabinoid drugs have become an established part of the recreational drug landscape in the United States and internationally. These drugs are manufactured in clandestine laboratories internationally and distributed in the United States in smoking mixtures, use of which produces effects very similar to use of marijuana. The adverse-effect profile of the drugs has not been studied in humans and infrequently in animal models, so much of the information about their toxicity comes from emergency department and treatment reports and forensic case studies. This review considers the discovery and characterization of the endocannabinoid system, approaches to receptor-binding studies of various synthetic cannabinoids from the first wave of naphthoylindoles (e.g., JWH-018) to the emerging adamantoylindole drugs (e.g., AKB-48), and their analogs, to evaluate the potential activity of drugs in this class. Currently employed approaches to assessing functional activity of the drugs using ...
Review of Synthetic Cannabinoids on the Illicit Drug Market
Critical Issues in Alcohol and Drugs of Abuse Testing, 2019
Cannabimimetics (synthetic cannabinoids) exhibit agonistic activity on the two cannabinoid re-ceptors, CB1 and CB2 but have no structural similarity with the active compound of marijuana; tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). They are called synthetic cannabinoids due to their mechanism of pharmaceutical actions. Because these compounds have no structural similarity with THC, as expected immunoassays designed to detect marijuana metabolite THC-COOH cannot detect the presence of these drugs or metabolites in urine. These compounds have been classified into several different major classes: carbazoles, classical cannabinoids, cyclohexylphenols, endogenous cannabinoids, indoles, indazoles, pyrroles, the URB-class, and others in a miscellaneous class. Every year, new synthetic cannabinoids arise, differing by the addition or removal of a substituent group. Currently over 130 synthetic cannabinoids have been identified. Although liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry or tandem mass s...
Synthetic cannabinoids: general considerations
2013
Around 2008 synthetic cannabinoids were found to be present in; and responsible for the psychoactive effects of herbal mixtures with names like 'Spice' or 'K2'. In response to the increased popularity of these products, (inter)national organizations and governments started banning these cannabimimetics gradually. However, the lack of an uniform and international regulation makes it hard to control this issue. For the different types of synthetic cannabinoids the scientific knowledge in terms of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics is limited. This also means that little is known on the health of users, both on short and long term. In the last years effort has been made to make detection of these products possible in different biological matrices. However, since the number of cannabimimetic compounds on the market appears to grow every month, both scientist and legislators run after a moving target.
Naturally occurring and related synthetic cannabinoids and their potential therapeutic applications
Recent patents on …, 2009
Naturally occurring cannabinoids (phytocannabinoids) are biosynthetically related terpenophenolic compounds uniquely produced by the highly variable plant, Cannabis sativa L. Natural and synthetic cannabinoids have been extensively studied since the discovery that the psychotropic effects of cannabis are mainly due to ! 9 -THC. However, cannabinoids exert pharmacological actions on other biological systems such as the cardiovascular, immune and endocrine systems. Most of these effects have been attributed to the ability of these compounds to interact with the cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors. The FDA approval of Marinol ® , a product containing synthetic " 9 -THC (dronabinol), in 1985 for the control of nausea and vomiting in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, and in 1992 as an appetite stimulant for AIDS patients, has further intensified the research interest in these compounds. This article reviews patents (2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007) that describe methods for isolation of cannabinoids from cannabis, chemical and chromatographic methods for their purification, synthesis, and potential therapeutic applications of these compounds.
International journal of medical sciences, 2018
Cannabis is becoming increasingly present in our society. In recent years, the line between the natural (cannabis) and the synthetic (synthetic cannabinoids), the recreational (cannabis) and the medical (pharmaceutical cannabinoids and medical cannabis) has been crossed. In this paper we review some of the novel aspects of cannabis and cannabinoids in relation to their legal situation, changes in their composition and forms of cannabis use, the concept of medical cannabis, and synthetic cannabinoids as new psychoactive substances (NPS). We have also analyzed serious adverse reactions and intoxications associated with the use of synthetic cannabinoids, as well as the latest developments in the research of pharmaceutical cannabinoids.
Endogenous and Synthetic Cannabinoids: Recent Advances
CNS Drug Reviews, 1996
Fax: (972)-2-641-0740. 429 430 E. SHOHAMI ET AL. k . . % A 0 ' HU-243 Cl SR 141716A Ag-THC A~-THC CHIOH CH*OH A 0 scs, HU-211 HU-210 GHcnzcHzoH -rnandrmidc 2-rrrc hidonoyl-glycerol FIG. 1. Chemical structures of some compounds mentioned in the text.
Synthetic cannabinoids: epidemiology, pharmacodynamics, and clinical implications
Drug and alcohol dependence, 2014
Synthetic cannabinoids (SC) are a heterogeneous group of compounds developed to probe the endogenous cannabinoid system or as potential therapeutics. Clandestine laboratories subsequently utilized published data to develop SC variations marketed as abusable designer drugs. In the early 2000s, SC became popular as "legal highs" under brand names such as Spice and K2, in part due to their ability to escape detection by standard cannabinoid screening tests. The majority of SC detected in herbal products have greater binding affinity to the cannabinoid CB1 receptor than does Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in the cannabis plant, and greater affinity at the CB1 than the CB2 receptor. In vitro and animal in vivo studies show SC pharmacological effects 2-100 times more potent than THC, including analgesic, anti-seizure, weight-loss, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer growth effects. SC produce physiological and psychoactive effects similar to TH...
Spicing things up: synthetic cannabinoids
Psychopharmacology, 2013
Rationale-Recently, products containing synthetic cannabinoids, collectively referred to as Spice, are increasingly being used recreationally. Objectives-The availability, acute subjective effects-including self-reports posted on Erowid-laboratory detection, addictive potential, and regulatory challenges of the Spice phenomenon are reviewed. Results-Spice is sold under the guise of potpourri or incense. Unlike THC, the synthetic cannabinoids present in Spice are high-potency, high-efficacy, cannabinoid-receptor full agonists. Since standard urine toxicology does not test for the synthetic cannabinoids in Spice, it is often used by those who want to avoid detection of drug use. These compounds have not yet been subjected to rigorous testing in humans. Acute psychoactive effects include changes in mood, anxiety, perception, thinking, memory, and attention. Adverse effects include anxiety, agitation, panic, dysphoria, psychosis, and bizarre behavior. Psychosis outcomes associated with Spice provide additional data linking cannabinoids and psychosis. Adverse events necessitating intervention by Poison Control Centers, law enforcement, emergency responders, and hospitals are increasing. Despite statutes prohibiting the manufacture, distribution, and sale of Spice products, manufacturers are replacing banned compounds with newer synthetic cannabinoids that are not banned. Conclusions-There is an urgent need for better research on the effects of synthetic cannabinoids to help clinicians manage adverse events and to better understand cannabinoid pharmacology in humans. The reported psychosis outcomes associated with synthetic cannabinoids contribute to the ongoing debate on the association between cannabinoids and psychosis. Finally, drug-detection tests for synthetic cannabinoids need to become clinically available.