Synthetic cannabinoids are a group of chemicals that mimic the effects of THC. In the last 50 years, hundreds of these compounds have been developed, all of them with a similar molecular structure. These substances are manufactured and prepared clandestinely, although it is common for them to be sold as “legal highs”. At present, there is no method available for accurately determining the concentration of each batch because there are no quality control standards, which means that there can be high risks associated with their consumption. The media has approached this phenomenon with sensationalism and alarm, adding further confusion to a field that is in itself uncertain and changing.
Cannabinoids are a type of chemical substance with a similar molecular structure or similar effects to the compounds that are found naturally in the cannabis plant. People and most animals (but not insects) have cannabinoid receptors located in many parts of the body; in fact, these endogenous receptors were named later than the plants’ cannabinoids, as the so-called endocannabinoid system started to be discovered in the 1980s, and THC and CBD had already been extracted from the cannabis plant forty years earlier, in the early 1940s. The first scientist who succeeded in synthesising THC and CBD at the laboratory was the world-famous Raphael Mechoulam, a professor of medical chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel), in 1965. Today, we know that our body’s endocannabinoid system regulates such important functions as memory, hunger, sleep, body temperature, etc.
So, alongside the cannabinoids produced naturally by the cannabis plant, there are synthetic cannabinoids obtained by synthesis in a laboratory. These compounds are functionally similar or mimic the effects of 9Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the substance responsible for cannabis’s psychoactive effects.
In the last 50 years, hundreds of synthetic cannabinoids have been discovered. Initially, these discoveries were developed within the framework of studies undertaken to investigate how cannabinoids affect the body and thus check whether they could be used as medicines to treat a number of diseases and symptoms, such as neurodegenerative diseases, drug addiction, pain disorders and cancer. During the last 20 years, chemical companies based in Asia have propitiated the appearance of a multitude of new synthetic cannabinoids which have been distributed through underground networks, without going through any type of quality control or study of their effects on people’s health. These new compounds have become available in rapid succession as their predecessors have been banned. As they come under scrutiny, the elasticity of the so-called illicit market responds with amazing alacrity.
Although news started to circulate in the mid-2000s of “blends of smoking herbs” sold as “legal highs” that could have “effects similar to cannabis”, it wasn’t until 2008 that German and Austrian researchers detected the synthetic cannabinoid JWH-018 for the first time in a product sold under the brand name Spice. Since then, they have become popular on the informal market, branded as “incense” or “air fresheners”, and with a plethora of names, of which the most popular are: Spice Diamond, Gold, Bombai Blue, K2, Yucatan Fire, Kronic, Black Mamba, Clockwork Orange, Exodus Damnation, Annihilation, etc. The alkaloids’ technical names sound like this: CP-47, NM2201, 5F-AB-PINACA, 4-CN-CUMYL-BUTINACA, MMB-CHMICA, JWH-018, JWH-250, JWH-200, HU-2010, CP-55, AM-694.
When these powdered substances started to arrive in Europe, retailers developed a preparation consisting of sprinkling the synthetic cannabinoids in powder form on plant-based products so that they could then be smoked. The most widely used plants for the preparation are: damiana, lemon balm, mint and thyme. This presentation entails certain intrinsic risks for consumers, as the sprinkling causes concentrations to be higher in certain places than in others in the same blend. The form of presentation (trade name, appearance or colour of the powder) gives no indication as to the product’s chemical composition. The material contained in a given blend may even have different cannabinoids, with different strengths, so that people may involuntarily consume higher concentrations of various unknown chemicals. Furthermore, with CBD’s recent boom and its dissemination in its plant-based formula, there have been cases of hemp buds sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids that have deceived those who assume that synthetic cannabinoids always look the same.
All of this confusion makes it enormously difficult to provide accurate and reliable information about the effects and risks of the different products sold on the informal market. We are talking about different substances with a very broad and constantly evolving spectrum of effects. Because of the high strength of some synthetic cannabinoids, the quantity of powder needed for each blend may amount to just a few dozen milligrammes.
The desired effects of the synthetic cannabinoids are similar to those of cannabis (they act on the endocannabinoid system’s CB1 receptors): relaxation, laughing, drowsiness, increased creativity, reduced nausea and pain, greater enjoyment of music and art. Of course, these depend on the dose, the consumer’s mood and the setting in which consumption takes place. One factor that increases the risks enormously is ignorance or compulsion. It is always advisable to start with a low dose and wait for the effects and then allow a reasonable time to pass before consuming again.
The unwanted effects are much more extensive, for example: panic, paranoia, nervousness, decreased ability to concentrate, confusion, vomiting, pain, agitation, heart arrhythmias, chest pain, myocardial damage, epileptic seizures, psychotic symptoms, fainting, acute kidney failure and coma. In extreme cases, deaths associated with consumption have been described: at least 52 between 2016 and 2018, according to the United Nations. Regular cannabis consumption does not provide any protection against these side effects. The current scientific consensus is that synthetic cannabinoids are much more toxic and do more harm than usual organic cannabis.
If synthetic cannabinoids are consumed within your circle, it is important that you consider the following:
- Carefully investigate the dose and the effects. If possible, have them analysed (for example, using Energy Control’s analysis service) before consuming them.
- Consume them in a safe environment, in the company of people you trust and who can provide help, if necessary.
- Getting “high” may cause dizziness and stomach discomfort.
- Be very careful about mixing them with other stimulants, as this forces the body to work extra hard in response.
- If you have a very intense “high”, you need to have a few hours available to rest and recover after consumption. Most people recommend waiting several weeks or months between consumptions to give the body time to adapt to the experience.
- Every consumption can have very different effects on people. If it doesn’t feel good, it is important to stay calm. The effects will wear off!
Avoid consumption in the following cases: pregnancy, breastfeeding, driving vehicles or handling dangerous machinery, cardiovascular, liver or kidney problems, diabetes, psychological problems or if you’re going through a rough patch. Obviously, you are strongly advised not to mix consumption of synthetic cannabinoids with any other substance, such as alcohol or any stimulant, as interactions have not been studied and associated risks may increase considerably.
Given the lack of scientific evidence, the synthetic cannabinoids’ potential for addiction is not conclusive. However, there are many case reports in the specialised literature of compulsive use. Some patients have reported the severity of withdrawal symptoms as one of the main reasons why they continue to consume synthetic cannabinoids.
The Spanish National Drug Plan started to enquire about consumption of Spice (alongside other “emerging drugs”) in its surveys (ESTUDES) in 2010. That year, in the 14-18 age group, the prevalence indicated that 1.1% of the population had consumed it at some time in the past and 0.8% had consumed it during the last year. Eight years later, in the 2018 survey, the prevalence of consumption had decreased slightly; 0.8% had consumed it at some point in the past and 0.5% during the last year. The differences in consumption between sexes are notable; the ratio is close to two boys for every girl. Three out of every four students perceive that consuming Spice may cause them quite a few or a lot of problems. These data are a long way behind the consumption of marijuana or hashish, which, in 2018, stood at 33% among those who had tried it at some time in the past and 27% for those who had consumed it during the last year.
In the case of the 15-64 age group, among the data collected by the EDADES 2019-2020 survey, 0.6% had consumed it at some time in the past. The highest prevalence was found in the 25-35 age group, with prevalence standing at 1.2% (1.8% for men and 0.5% for women). If we compare these data with those for consumption of marijuana or hashish in the same age group, the latter figures are far higher, as 37.5% say that they have consumed at some time in the past and 10.5% did so during the last year.
Prevalence of consumption of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in general and of Spice in particular does not reach such high figures in Spain as have been recorded in other EU countries, Australia or the United States.
As stated above, we face a constantly evolving phenomenon on which very little reliable scientific research has been performed that may enable to offer precise figures. Faced with this, it is best to act with extreme caution and take the effects of plant-based cannabis or hashish as a reference, which have more safety profiles and have been better studied.
Comenta