Adding Spice to the Porridge: The development of a synthetic cannabinoid market in an English prison

The details of decriminalization: Designing a non-criminal response to the possession of drugs for personal use

“…Differences in the treatment of various drugs may encourage people to switch from one to another. British prisoners switched from using cannabis to synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (known as 'Spice' or 'Mamba') during a period when cannabis use was detected in urine tests and punished, while use of synthetic cannabinoids was not (Ralphs et al, 2017).…”

Clinical pattern of synthetic cannabinoids users in Upper Egypt: cross-sectional study

“…Moreover, hallucinations that were described by many SCs users also added to the violence acts observed in these cases. So, synthetic cannabinoids are thought to be linked to concerns such as aggression, self-harm, suicide, and mental illness ([ 40 ]). The marked risk of psychopathological problems and accompanying violence occurrence that is usually associated with drug abuse is generally attributed to the imbalance of some neurotransmitter pathways and receptors [ 44 ].…”

“…This coincides with the study of Clayton et al [ 12 ], who showed that sexual violence, harming someone with a weapon, physical fighting, and carrying a weapon were all more common among SCs users. Also, Ralphs et al [ 40 ] correlated the sharp increase in serious violence, self-harm, and suicide in England and Wiles’ prisons to the increased consumption of SCs.…”

The metabolism of the synthetic cannabinoids ADB‐BUTINACA and ADB‐4en‐PINACA and their detection in forensic toxicology casework and infused papers seized in prisons

“…[4][5][6] SCRAs have been implicated in many non-fatal poisonings and drugrelated deaths worldwide, 7,8 and in some jurisdictions, their prevalence is particularly high in vulnerable groups such as rough-sleepers and prison populations. [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] To date, SCRA production has been based primarily in the People's Republic of China, from where substances are distributed to other jurisdictions via international mail and freight distribution networks. Legislative controls in China are known to have a significant influence on the appearance of specific SCRAs on the global illicit drugs market, and the most prevalent substances often emerge simultaneously in different jurisdictions.…”

“…SCRAs elicit a range of psychoactive and harmful physiological effects with many, but not all, appearing to be mediated by binding to, and activation of, the CB 1 receptor 4–6 . SCRAs have been implicated in many non‐fatal poisonings and drug‐related deaths worldwide, 7,8 and in some jurisdictions, their prevalence is particularly high in vulnerable groups such as rough‐sleepers and prison populations 9–16 . To date, SCRA production has been based primarily in the People's Republic of China, from where substances are distributed to other jurisdictions via international mail and freight distribution networks.…”