Case Report: Synthetic Cannabinoid Deaths in State of Florida Prisoners

Hvozdovich, Jessica A.; Chronister, Chris W.; Logan, Barry K.; Goldberger, Bruce A.

doi:10.1093/jat/bkz092

Cited by 30 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…To the best of the author's knowledge, there have been very few reports of synthetic cannabinoid/synthetic cathinone mixtures and none in seized infused papers. Recently, there was a report of the synthetic cathinone N ‐ethylpentylone found in combination with synthetic cannabinoids in post‐mortem urine in four prisoners from Florida between March 2017 and November 2018 . While SCRAs have been reported to enter prisons in Florida via impregnated paper, it is unclear from the results of post‐mortem urine testing if the mixture was on the paper or if the SCRAs and synthetic cathinones were taken separately.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection and quantitation of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists in infused papers from prisons in a constantly evolving illicit market

Norman

Walker

McKirdy

et al. 2020

Drug Testing and Analysis

153

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Drug misuse in prisons contributes to increased disruption and violence and negatively impacts prisoner safety, rehabilitation, and recovery. Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs), colloquially known as “spice”, are infused into papers and are of particular concern in a prison setting where they are commonly vaped. Methods for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of SCRA infused papers, including impurity profiling, were developed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) with qualitative confirmation by ultra high pressure liquid chromatography with photodiode array and quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry detection (UPLC‐PDA‐QToF‐MS) and applied to 354 individual seized paper samples originating from 168 seizures from three Scottish prisons. Of these samples, 41% (146 samples from 101 seizures) contained at least one SCRA and multiple SCRAs were detected on 23% of these papers. Concentrations ranged from < 0.05–1.17 mg/cm2 paper, representing the first reported quantitative data for SCRA infused papers. An evolution in the SCRAs detected was demonstrated; 5F‐MDMB‐PINACA (5F‐ADB) predominated until late 2018, after which time 5F‐MDMB‐PICA and 4F‐MDMB‐BINACA became increasingly more prevalent, followed by the arrival of MDMB‐4en‐PINACA in June 2019. Concentration mapping data from two seized paper samples demonstrated that SCRA concentrations across larger papers were highly variable (0.47–2.38 mg/cm2 paper) making consistent dosing by users, and representative sampling by laboratory analysts, difficult. Near real‐time qualitative and quantitative information on SCRAs circulating in prisons acts as an early warning system for SCRAs emerging on the wider illicit market, inform the methods used to detect them and limit supply, and provide information to support harm reduction measures.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection and quantitation of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists in infused papers from prisons in a constantly evolving illicit market

Norman

Walker

McKirdy

et al. 2020

Drug Testing and Analysis

153

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“…A number of toxicology reports from Bulgaria, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Turkey, and the United States have included overdose, drowning, driving under the influence of drugs (DUID), and prison inmate fatalities linked to the consumption of 5F-ADB. 27,34,[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52] Analysis of human biological specimens for the presence of synthetic cannabinoids typically entails identifying the parent drug in blood specimens, and/or its metabolites in urine. 7 However, this approach is incomplete, as many synthetic cannabinoid metabolites have been determined to be pharmacologically active and also appear in blood samples.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolic profiling of synthetic cannabinoid 5F‐ADB and identification of metabolites in authentic human blood samples via human liver microsome incubation and ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography/high‐resolution mass spectrometry

Presley

Castaneto

Logan

et al. 2020

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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Indazole carboxamide synthetic cannabinoids, a prevalent class of recreational drugs, are a major clinical, forensic and public health challenge. One such compound, 5F-ADB, has been implicated in fatalities worldwide. Understanding its metabolism and distribution facilitates the development of laboratory assays to substantiate its consumption. Synthetic cannabinoid metabolites have been extensively studied in urine; studies identifying metabolites in blood are limited and no data on the metabolic stability (half-life, clearance and extraction ratio) of 5F-ADB have been published prior to this report. Methods: The in vitro metabolism of 5F-ADB was elucidated via incubation with human liver microsomes for 2 h at 37 C. Samples were collected at multiple time points to determine its metabolic stability. Upon identification of metabolites, authentic forensic human blood samples underwent liquid-liquid extraction and were screened for metabolites. Extracts were analyzed via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC/QTOFMS) operated in positive electrospray ionization mode. Results: Seven metabolites were identified including oxidative defluorination (M1); carboxypentyl (M2); monohydroxylation of the fluoropentyl chain (M3.1/M3.2) and indazole ring system (M4); ester hydrolysis (M5); and ester hydrolysis with oxidative defluorination (M6). The half-life (3.1 min), intrinsic clearance (256.2 mL min −1 kg −1), hepatic clearance (18.6 mL min −1 kg −1) and extraction ratio (0.93) were determined for the first time. In blood, M1 was present in each sample as the most abundant substance; two samples contained M5; one contained 5F-ADB, M1 and M5. Conclusions: 5F-ADB is rapidly metabolized in HLM. 5F-ADB, M1 and M5 are pharmacologically active at the cannabinoid receptors (CB 1 /CB 2) and M1 and M5 may contribute to a user's impairment profile. The results demonstrate that it is imperative that synthetic cannabinoid assays screen for pharmacologically active metabolites, especially for drugs with short half-lives. The authors propose that M1 and M5 are appropriate markers to include in laboratory blood tests screening for 5F-ADB.

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“…For a more accurate assessment of the overall threat posed by the presence of NPS on the drug market, it is necessary to consider not only the overall amount of NPS seized, but also the number of doses and the hazards specific to each particular NPS. Synthetic opioids and cannabinoids, well‐documented examples of extremely potent and dangerous NPS emerging on the drug market over the past few years, have already been linked to a significant number of deaths 4,5 . This threat has also been formally recognized by the EMCDDA, which has responded, among other measures, by issuing as many as five risk assessments in 2017, followed by nine in 2018, 6 all of which were focused primarily on fentanyl analogs or highly potent synthetic cannabinoids (SCs).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New psychoactive substances on dark web markets: From deal solicitation to forensic analysis of purchased substances

Jurásek

Čmelo

Svoboda

et al. 2020

Drug Testing and Analysis

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The dark web scene has been drawing the attention of law enforcement agencies and researchers alike. To date, most of the published works on the dark web are based on data gained by passive observation. To gain a more contextualized perspective, a study was conducted in which three vendors were selected on the "Dream Market" dark web marketplace, from whom subsequently several new psychoactive substances (NPS) were ordered. All transactions were documented from the initial drug deal solicitation to the final qualitative analysis of all received samples. From the selected vendors, a total of nine NPS samples was obtained, all of which were analyzed by NMR, HRMS, LC-UV, and two also by x-ray diffraction. According to our analyses, four of the five substances offered under already known NPS names contained a different NPS. The selected vendors therefore either did not know about their product, or deliberately deceived the buyers. Furthermore, two of three obtained samples of purportedly novel NPS were identified as already documented substances sold under a different name. However, the third characterized substance sold as "MPF-47700" was a novel, yet uncharacterized, NPS. Finally, we received a single undeclared substance, later identified as 5F-ADB. In addition to chemical analysis of the nine obtained NPS samples, the methodology used also yielded contextual information about the accessibility of NPS on the dark web, the associated purchase process, and the modus operandi of three NPS vendors. Direct participation in dark web marketplaces seems to provide additional layers of information useful for forensic studies.

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Case Report: Synthetic Cannabinoid Deaths in State of Florida Prisoners

Cited by 30 publications

References 9 publications

Detection and quantitation of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists in infused papers from prisons in a constantly evolving illicit market

Detection and quantitation of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists in infused papers from prisons in a constantly evolving illicit market

Metabolic profiling of synthetic cannabinoid 5F‐ADB and identification of metabolites in authentic human blood samples via human liver microsome incubation and ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography/high‐resolution mass spectrometry

New psychoactive substances on dark web markets: From deal solicitation to forensic analysis of purchased substances

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