Synthetic Drugs

1. Synthetic Drugs An Inside look at a GLOBAL problem….

2. Synthetic drugs • A multi - billion dollar industry. • Trends- 70’s LSD, 80’s Cocaine, 90’s GHB, present synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones • Synthetic cathinones- bath salts- convenient store crack • Synthetic cannabinoids- Examples: spice/k2 • Cathinones/cannabinoids created by brain surgeon in Germany during 1980’s for research, replicated 08 @ Clemson by John W Huffman- created 450+ synthetic cannabinoid compounds • Majority of transactions are online • 90% cathinones- from China, remaining 10% from India and remote regions

3. Synthetic drugs • Synthetic cannabinoids- similar to THC- 4X power of marijuana- enhanced hallucination and Paranoia. • Hide behind “not for human consumption”- mantra of dealers- their out • U.S. is #1 consumer of illicit substances • ***Schedule 1 controlled substance- just like Cocaine*** • Am2201- wJw4-0181 most popularly used • Majority of incidents are unreported, kids are afraid of getting in trouble. • Direct marketing demographic are Teens.

4. A Bad trip…. • 100’s of chemicals in synthetic marijuana- Google/YouTube Ashley Stillwell from Kentucky- “couch lock”- friends were going to throw her in the river. • http://www.bgdailynews.com/news/a-bad-trip-herbal-potpourri-h-can-deliver-disastrous-results/article_0b1a42ec-45f1-579b-9f84-a4ba109d6ca5.html

5. Cannabinoids • Synthetic cannabis is a psychoactive herbal and chemical product that, when consumed, mimics the effects of cannabis. It is best known by the brand names K2[1] and Spice,[2] both of which have largely become genericized trademarks used to refer to any synthetic cannabis product. (It is also for this reason that synthetic cannabis is often referred to as spice product, due to the latter.)

6. Side Effects • Research on the safety of synthetic cannabis is only now becoming available. Initial studies are focused on the role of synthetic cannabis and psychosis. It seems likely that synthetic cannabis can precipitate psychosis and in some cases it is prolonged. These studies suggest that synthetic cannabinoid intoxication is associated with acute psychosis, worsening of previously stable psychotic disorders, and also may have the ability to trigger a chronic (long-term) psychotic disorder among vulnerable individuals such as those with a family history of mental illness

7. Drug composition • When synthetic cannabis blends first went on sale in the early 2000s, it was thought that they achieved an effect through a mixture of legal herbs. Laboratory analysis in 2008 showed that this is not the case, and that they in fact contain synthetic cannabinoids that act on the body in a similar way to cannabinoids naturally found in cannabis, such as THC. A large and complex variety of synthetic cannabinoids, most often cannabicyclohexanol, JWH-018, JWH-073, or HU-210, are used in an attempt to avoid the laws that make cannabis illegal, making synthetic cannabis a designer drug.

8. Drug Composition • It is often marketed as "herbal incense"; however, some brands market their products as "herbal smoking blends". In either case, the products are usually smoked by users. Although synthetic cannabis does not produce positive results in drug tests for cannabis, it is possible to detect its metabolites in human urine. The synthetic cannabinoids contained in synthetic cannabis products have been made illegal in many European countries. On November 24, 2010, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency announced it would use emergency powers to ban many synthetic cannabinoids within a month.[

9. History • According to the Psychonaut Web Mapping Research Project, synthetic cannabis products, sold under the brand name Spice, first appeared in Europe in 2004.[8] The brand "Spice" was released in 2004 by the now-dormant company The Psyche Deli in London, UK. In 2006 the brand gained popularity. According to the Financial Times, the assets of The Psyche Deli rose from £65,000 in 2006 to £899,000 in 2007.[

10. History • The EMCDDA reported in 2009 that 'Spice' products were identified in 21 of the 30 participating countries. Because 'Spice' was the dominant brand until 2009, the competing brands that started to appear from 2008 on were also dubbed 'Spice'. Spice can, therefore, relate to both the brand 'Spice', as to all herbal blends with synthetic cannabinoids added. • A survey of readers of Mixmag in the UK in 2009 found that one in eight respondents had used synthetic cannabis, compared to 85% who had used cannabis.[10]

11. Ingredients • Synthetic cannabis is claimed by the manufacturers to contain a mixture of traditionally used medicinal herbs, each of which producing mild effects, with the overall blend resulting in the cannabis-like intoxication produced by the product. Herbs listed on the packaging of Spice include Canavaliamaritima, Nymphaeacaerulea, Scutellaria nana, Pedicularisdensiflora, Leonotisleonurus, Zornialatifolia, Nelumbonucifera, and Leonurussibiricus

12. Ingredients • However, when the product was analyzed by laboratories in Germany and elsewhere, it was found that many of the characteristic "fingerprint" molecules expected to be present from the claimed plant ingredients were not present. There were also large amounts of synthetic tocopherol present. This suggested that the actual ingredients might not be the same as those listed on the packet, and a German government risk assessment of the product conducted in November 2008 concluded that it was unclear as to what the actual plant ingredients were, where the synthetic tocopherol had come from, and whether the subjective cannabis-like effects were actually produced by any of the claimed plant ingredients or instead caused by a synthetic cannabinoid drug

13. Ingredients- Variance • Different ratios of JWH-018 and CP 47,497 and their analogues have been found in different brands of synthetic cannabis[21] and manufacturers constantly change the composition of their products.[22] The amount of JWH-018 in Spice has been found to vary from 0.2% to 3%.[23]

14. Safety • Exponential growth in poison control calls from 2009-present. • No official studies have been conducted on its effects on humans.[30] Though its effects are not well-documented, extremely large doses may cause negative effects that are in general not noted in marijuana users, such as increased agitation and vomiting.[31] Professor John W. Huffman, who first synthesised many of the cannabinoids used in synthetic cannabis, is quoted as saying, "People who use it are idiots."[30] "You don't know what it's going to do to you

15. Case Study • A user who consumed 3 g of Spice Gold every day for several months showed withdrawal symptoms, similar to those associated with withdrawing from the use of narcotics. Doctors treating the user also noted that his use of the product showed signs associated with addiction.[33] One case has been reported wherein a user, who had previously suffered from cannabis-induced recurrent psychotic episodes, suffered reactivation of his symptoms after using Spice. Psychiatrists treating him have suggested that the lack of an antipsychotic chemical, similar to cannabidiol found in natural cannabis, may make synthetic cannabis more likely to induce psychosis than natural cannabis.[

16. Psychosis • Studies are currently available which suggest an association between synthetic cannabinoids and psychosis. Physicians should be aware that the use of synthetic cannabinoids can be associated with psychosis and investigate possible use of synthetic cannabinoids in patients with inexplicable psychotic symptoms.[35]. Also, people with risk factors for psychosis should be counseled against using synthetic cannabinoids

17. Health Risks • Myocardial infarction (heart attacks) were associated with the use of the synthetic cannabinoid K2.[37] Also, convulsions were associated with the use of a synthetic cannabinoid product.[38] • The number of calls to United States poison control centers about synthetic cannabis has doubled in the last year.[39

18. Drug Testing • One can test for synthetic cannabinoids- very expensive -$80/per test. • Spice does not cause a positive drug test for cannabis or other illegal drugs using GC-MS-screening with library search, multi-target screening by LC-MS/MS, or immunological screening procedures.[21][33] A study has been conducted into the detection of metabolites of JWH-018 in urine; the metabolites are mainly conjugates with glucuronic acid and can be reliably detected by GC–MS/MS and LC–MS/MS.[40]

19. Legal Status • New laws in effect Jan 01, 2012- derivitives of bath salts/synthetic marijuana are class 1 illegal substances.

20. INformation • 3 prong test: 1) substantially similar chemical, 2) pharmacologically- how does it affect the body, 3) trafficking for human consumption- “bad guys” say “potpourri” but 20X price of “potpourri” • Smoke able medium- damiana leaves- drying process is 2-7 hrs. • 1 kg = 40-50 kg of finished product • Wholesale- $3/gram, sold $10/gram • Made often in storage sheds

21. Information • Dealer costs- 200 grams produced 8,000 canisters, production cost 3K for 29 K of 8,000 canisters- Retail $10-13/unit= $100 K- 1 shipment every 3 wks- is an international problem- profit potential is great @ every level. • Priced like meth, coke is more expensive • Weed is 20% more expensive, used to be 3X more expensive. • True weed heads hate synthetic pot • Schools- put language in handbook of “botanicals” similar to high, use school code w/local ordinances.

22. Information continued… • Urine test is pricey- $80/ea • Neurologist from St Louis University- drug damaging central nervous receptors • What schools can do- talk w/local media- inform of problem • Science lesson/damage to brain- how it happens, history lessons- history of drugs, English lesson- stories of altered states, Math- statistical data analysis of dangers and damages

23. Brain response • Brain responses- epinephrine- fight or flight response • Dopamine- feel good • Too much dopamine= paranoia and fear- ex: schizophrenics have excess dopamine in mid-brain, too much serotonin- hallucinate • Fever is #1 danger- likely to die unless fever broken immediately • 83% of calls to poison control center under age of 30

24. Brain Response continued… • Brain responses- epinephrine- fight or flight response • Dopamine- feel good • Too much dopamine= paranoia and fear- ex: schizophrenics have excess dopamine in mid-brain, too much serotonin- hallucinate • Fever is #1 danger- likely to die unless fever broken immediately • 83% of calls to poison control center under age of 30

25. Short Answer Quiz • What is the difference between a synthetic cannabinoid and cathinone? • Name two different places synthetic drugs can be purchased from? • List three common side effects from synthetic drug use?