Abstract
New designer drugs (synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones) are new “legal highs” that are sold online for recreational public or private use.
Synthetic cannabinoids are psychoactive herbal and chemical products that mimic the effects of cannabis when used. These drugs are available on the Internet or in head shops as incense or air fresheners to circumvent the law.
Cathinone is a naturally occurring beta-ketone amphetamine analog found in the leaves of the Catha edulis plant. Synthetic cathinones are phenylalkylamine derivatives that may possess amphetamine-like properties. These drugs are sold online as bath salts.
Designer drugs are often labeled as “not for human consumption” to circumvent drug abuse legislation. The absence of legal risks, the ease of obtaining these drugs, the moderate cost, and the availability via the Internet are the main features that attract users, but the number of intoxicated people presenting with emergencies is increasing.
There is evidence that negative health and social consequences may affect recreational and chronic users. The addictive potential of designer drugs is not negligible.
Keywords: Synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, legal highs, recreative drugs.
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title:New Designer Drugs (Synthetic Cannabinoids and Synthetic Cathinones): Review of Literature
Volume: 20 Issue: 25
Author(s): Olivier Cottencin, Benjamin Rolland and Laurent Karila
Affiliation:
Keywords: Synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, legal highs, recreative drugs.
Abstract: New designer drugs (synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones) are new “legal highs” that are sold online for recreational public or private use.
Synthetic cannabinoids are psychoactive herbal and chemical products that mimic the effects of cannabis when used. These drugs are available on the Internet or in head shops as incense or air fresheners to circumvent the law.
Cathinone is a naturally occurring beta-ketone amphetamine analog found in the leaves of the Catha edulis plant. Synthetic cathinones are phenylalkylamine derivatives that may possess amphetamine-like properties. These drugs are sold online as bath salts.
Designer drugs are often labeled as “not for human consumption” to circumvent drug abuse legislation. The absence of legal risks, the ease of obtaining these drugs, the moderate cost, and the availability via the Internet are the main features that attract users, but the number of intoxicated people presenting with emergencies is increasing.
There is evidence that negative health and social consequences may affect recreational and chronic users. The addictive potential of designer drugs is not negligible.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Cottencin Olivier, Rolland Benjamin and Karila Laurent, New Designer Drugs (Synthetic Cannabinoids and Synthetic Cathinones): Review of Literature, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2014; 20 (25) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/13816128113199990622
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/13816128113199990622 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
"Tuberculosis Prevention, Diagnosis and Drug Discovery"
The Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and streptomycin have enabled an appropriate diagnosis and an effective treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, many newer diagnosis methods and drugs have been saving millions of lives. Despite advances in the past, TB is still a leading cause of infectious disease mortality ...read more
Current Pharmaceutical challenges in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological dysfunctions
Neurological dysfunctions (MND, ALS, MS, PD, AD, HD, ALS, Autism, OCD etc..) present significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, often necessitating innovative approaches and therapeutic interventions. This thematic issue aims to explore the current pharmaceutical landscape surrounding neurological disorders, shedding light on the challenges faced by researchers, clinicians, and ...read more
Emerging and re-emerging diseases
Faced with a possible endemic situation of COVID-19, the world has experienced two important phenomena, the emergence of new infectious diseases and/or the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of such diseases has also undergone changes. This context, in turn, may have a strong relationship with ...read more
Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Treatment: Standard of Care and Recent Advances
In this thematic issue, we aim to provide a standard of care of the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. The editor will invite authors from different countries who will write review articles of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The Diagnosis, Staging, Surgical Treatment, Non-Surgical Treatment all ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Current Management of Neonatal Liver Tumors
Current Pediatric Reviews Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonism and Cardiac Remodeling in Ischemic Heart Failure
Current Medicinal Chemistry - Cardiovascular & Hematological Agents Free Radicals Generated by Post-Prandial Oxidative Burst in the Early Alterations of Vascular Contractility
Clinical Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Drugs (Discontinued) Cardioprotective Effects of Indian Gooseberry (Emblica officinalis Gaertn) and its Phytochemicals: A Review
Current Nutrition & Food Science Nanoparticle Based Delivery of Protease Inhibitors to Cancer Cells
Current Medicinal Chemistry Genetic and Molecular Determinants of Atherosclerotic Plaque Instability
Current Vascular Pharmacology Safety and Efficacy of Intra-arterial Tirofiban Injection During Mechanical Thrombectomy for Large Artery Occlusion
Current Neurovascular Research Clinical Characteristics of Behcet’s Disease in 453 Egyptian Patients Suffering from Uveitis with Gender Comparison
Current Rheumatology Reviews Marfan Syndrome and Related Heritable Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections
Current Pharmaceutical Design A Cerebrovascular Image Segmentation Method Based on Geometrical Feature Point Clustering and Local Threshold
Current Medical Imaging An Overview of the Design, Development and Applications of Biodegradable Stents
Drug Delivery Letters Interventional Radiology in Paediatrics
Current Pediatric Reviews Osteopontin; as a Target Molecule for the Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases
Current Drug Targets c-Myc and Downstream Targets in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Cancer
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Lessons from the REACH Registry in Europe
Current Vascular Pharmacology Statin Use and Cardiovascular Event/Death Rates After Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair Procedures
Current Vascular Pharmacology Electrochemical-Based Biosensors: New Diagnosis Platforms for Cardiovascular Disease
Current Medicinal Chemistry Evaluation of Two Fast Virtual Stenting Algorithms for Intracranial Aneurysm Flow Diversion
Current Neurovascular Research Mechanical Thrombectomy in Acute Ischaemic Stroke: A Review of the Literature, Clinical Effectiveness and Future Use
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Clinical Utility of Biomarkers in Premature Atherosclerosis
Current Medicinal Chemistry