Our state department’s ethnographic research looks into emerging drug trends within our state. Most drug abusers we see do not prefer synthetic marijuana, and they only use it to bypass drug screens when they are involved in the justice system. Anecdotally, they report more agitation when using the drug. I haven’t heard reports about other physiological effects similar to those mentioned in the Spiceophrenia article. Generally, more severe symptoms are more commonly associated with use of “bath salts.” No users I’ve spoken with have reported dependence on the substance(s).

As an aside … In the US, none of these drugs are marketed at all because the “Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 2012” banned synthetic compounds found in synthetic marijuana (along with a host of other substances), and the act placed these substances under Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act. Because the substances are now part of the CSA, they also fall under the “Federal Analog Act,” which makes all chemical analogs illegal. (As one would expect, some people are still trying to sell the drugs despite the laws.)

Every-Palmer found two years ago that JWH-018 may cause psychosis in vulnerable individuals-

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871611000639

JWH-015 can trigger apoptosis in immune cells, according to the methods used by Lombard et al.-

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1864948/?tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract

A review of the pharmacology and toxicology of synthetic cannabinoids by Seely et al.-

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584612000899

Harris and Brown did a nice review earlier this year on the effects of synthetic cannabinoid intoxication-

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0736467912008876

Sun and Dey have few doubts that synthetic cannabinoids can cause complication in female reproduction-

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0024320513003597

I do remember reading that the deleterious effects of JWH-073 are caused by its metabolites and not simply the compound. I suggest looking further into this-

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2013.03.012

I hope all of this helps!

Best wishes

J Addict Med. 2013 Jul-Aug;7(4):296-8. doi: 10.1097/ADM.0b013e31828e1881.

The synthetic cannabinoid withdrawal syndrome.

Nacca N, Vatti D, Sullivan R, Sud P, Su M, Marraffa J.

Dear Paul,

Here you find two articles regarding clinical and laboratory findings in cases of acute intoxication with synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236930182_Acute_intoxication_by_synthetic_cannabinoids_-_Four_case_reports?ev=prf_pub

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230840840_Acute_toxicity_due_to_the_confirmed_consumption_of_synthetic_cannabinoids_Clinical_and_laboratory_findings?ev=prf_pub

The cases clearly show that there are severe and even life-threatening conditions caused by synthetic cannabinoids which are not known from cannabis intoxication.

With best wishes,

Volker

Article Acute intoxication by synthetic cannabinoids - Four case reports

Article Acute toxicity due to the confirmed consumption of synthetic...

Dear Paul,

I have performed animal studies on the abuse liability of the synthetic cannabinoid JWH-018, and I'm almost ready with the paper for publication. I'm attaching an abstract of the results recently presented at the Dopamine 2013 Meeting (Alghero, Italy, May 24-28). feel free to contact me for further information.

Best wishes,

Mary De Luca

University of Cagliari (Italy)

[email protected]

I've just posted a related question here;

https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_evidence_exists_that_novel_synthetic_cannabinoids_may_act_in_a_clinically_signficant_fashion_at_receptor_sites_beyond_CB1?_tpcectx=profile_highlights