Novel psychoactive substances and inhalants
Ilana B. Crome, Richard Williams, Roger Bloor, Xenofon Sgouros in Substance Misuse and Young People, 2019
SCs became popular partially due to their ability to escape detection by standard cannabinoid screening tests. They were developed either as abusable designer drugs or potential therapeutics. They have greater binding affinity to the endocannabinoid receptors than Δ9-THC (Castaneto et al., 2014), and many of them contain no cannabidiol (CBD), so they may have a higher psychosis-inducing potential than cannabis. In vitro and animal in vivo studies show that their pharmacological effects are 2–100 times more potent than tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), including analgesic, anti-seizure, weight loss, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer growth effects. Nonetheless, they produce unwanted physiological and psychoactive negative effects more frequently and with greater intensity than does THC, resulting in medical and psychiatric emergencies, especially in younger and inexperienced users (ibid.).
Substance Abuse during Pregnancy
“Bert” Bertis Britt Little in Drugs and Pregnancy, 2022
Like amphetamines, methamphetamines are sympathomimetic agents with potent central nervous system stimulant properties. They are prescribed medically to treat ADHD, obesity, and narcolepsy. Illegal methamphetamines are known as ‘designer drugs’ because they are synthesized by novel site methylation along the carbon chain and ring in a one-step reduction process. This “design” creates molecules different from pharmaceutical forms of the drug. Methamphetamines are a popular class of recreational drug, but are occasionally used to ‘cut’ or dilute other illicit drugs (e.g., cocaine). The stimulant effects of methamphetamines keep the partygoers awake, although some varieties of this drug may cause hallucinations or other altered states of consciousness. In 2021, parties sometimes called “raves” go on for 36+ hours with the pharmacological assistance of methamphetamines.
A history of Parkinson’s disease
Jeremy Playfer, John Hindle, Andrew Lees in Parkinson's Disease in the Older Patient, 2018
In conjunction with the advances in the drug and surgical treatment of Parkinson’s disease, there were major developments in modelling of the functions of the basal ganglia. Hughlings Jackson, in 1868, claimed that instability of activities of the striatum led to choreoform, or overactive, movements. Theories of the interaction between the basal ganglia and production of movement disorders were further developed by many workers, including Ramsay Hunt in the 1920–30s and Denny Brown in the 1960–70s. These led to the theory of the striatum being a clearing-house for the neurological mechanisms of voluntary movements. It became clear that the basal ganglia have an important role in control of posture and locomotion, and a major role in cognition. The single most important development in the study of models of Parkinson’s disease was the discovery that methyl-phenyl-tetrahydro-pyridine (MPTP), was a specific neurotoxin for the basal ganglia. This substance was produced as a by-product of manufacture of illegal ‘designer’ drugs, and led to the presentation of typical parkinsonism in drug abusers.15 This discovery led to the ability to model Parkinson’s disease in animals and study movement and cognition and the effects of treatment.15
Content versus Label Claims in Cannabidiol (CBD)-Containing Products Obtained from Commercial Outlets in the State of Mississippi
Published in Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2020
Bill J. Gurley, Timothy P. Murphy, Waseem Gul, Larry A. Walker, Mahmoud ElSohly
Perhaps the most alarming aspect of this study was the frequency with which CBD vaping products were adulterated with synthetic cannabinoids. Synthetic cannabinoids are a novel class of designer drugs intended to mimic the psychoactive effects of THC in marijuana (Pintori et al. 2017). They emerged as a new drug of abuse category in 2008. Synthetic cannabinoid use/abuse can have devastating toxicological consequences ranging from agitation and psychosis to arrhythmia, seizures, and death (Davidson et al. 2017; Armenian et al. 2018; Pacher et al. 2018). Their unpredictable toxicity may vary with dose, route of administration, individual vulnerability, and concomitant intake with other drugs (Davidson et al. 2017; Pintori et al. 2017). Compounding the harmful effects of synthetic cannabinoids when delivered via electronic cigarette is lung injury associated with vaping alone (Cherian et al. 2020). Recently, CBD oil vaping has been linked to a number of serious lung injuries (Conuel et al. 2019; Heinzerling et al. 2020). Our findings, while not conclusive, suggest that adulterated CBD products designed for e-cigarette use may exacerbate vaping-associated respiratory failure (Conuel et al. 2019; Fryman et al. 2020; Heinzerling et al. 2020). The number of liquid vaping products that provided no manufacturer information was also surprising as such practices only worsen the safety concerns surrounding these products.
Going beyond prescription pain relievers to understand the opioid epidemic: the role of illicit fentanyl, new psychoactive substances, and street heroin
Published in Postgraduate Medicine, 2018
Joseph V. Pergolizzi, Jo Ann LeQuang, Robert Taylor, Robert B. Raffa
New psychoactive substances (NPS) are substances of abuse, either used in pure form or in preparation, that are not regulated by the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs or the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. This means they are at the very least ‘not illegal.’ These NPS are sometimes called ‘designer drugs’ in that they are manufactured in makeshift laboratories specifically and solely for the recreational street drug market. NPS pose a serious public health threat, but they can often be legally distributed (at least in the short term) and sold under the label ‘not for human use’ or as ‘research chemicals.’[14]
Drugs of abuse and ocular effects
Published in Clinical and Experimental Optometry, 2021
Valérie Proulx, Benoit Tousignant
Designer drugs are new types of drugs that can easily be purchased online or in illicit shops. They are often called them ‘legal highs’ because their consumption constitutes a way to procure psychoactive effects without using illegal substances. There are many substances on the market that imitate the drugs like ecstasy, amphetamine, cocaine, and cannabis. The consumer typically buys the substances in the form of bath salts, plant food, research chemicals, or dietary supplements which are officially labelled as ‘not for human consumption’.165–167
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