Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists: classification and nomenclature

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

“…Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists are a structurally diverse class of compounds that interact with human cannabinoid type 1 and type 2 G‐protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), CB 1 and CB 2. They vary widely in their potency and efficacy as a result of differences in their structural conformation, including chirality . Their diversity is due, in part, to the increased online availability of published research studies and patents describing their synthesis, in vitro potency and efficacy, and biological effects; the availability of precursor materials; increasing understanding of their structure–activity relationships by producers and suppliers; and as a response to the implementation of national and international legislation designed to control their production, prevalence, and use, and in particular, their use in prisons …”

“…This, as well as the enactment of other national and international legislative controls, has led to a proliferation of new SCRA compounds, with 260 SCRAs being reported to the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) by December 2018 and over 180 reported to the EU Early Warning System. The rate of the emergence of new compounds may be slowing, but there has been a general trend of increasing potency as the understanding of SCRA structure–activity relationships has improved …”

“…Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists are a structurally diverse class of compounds that interact with human cannabinoid type 1 and type 2 G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), CB 1 and CB 2. [15][16][17][18][19] They vary widely in their potency and efficacy [20][21][22] as a result of differences in their structural conformation, including chirality. 23 Their diversity is due, in part, to the increased online availability of published research studies and patents describing their synthesis, in vitro potency and efficacy, and biological effects; the availability of precursor materials;…”

“…The rate of the emergence of new compounds may be slowing, 29 but there has been a general trend of increasing potency as the understanding of SCRA structure-activity relationships has improved. 17,18,30,31 In an attempt to end the "cat and mouse" game, the Psychoactive Substances Act (PSA) was enacted in May 2016 in the UK, making the production, distribution, sale, supply, and possession in custodial institutions (e.g. prisons) of psychoactive substances for human consumption illegal, 32 irrespective of whether or not they were covered by the MDA, 1971.…”

Challenges and Opportunities in Preclinical Research of Synthetic Cannabinoids for Pain Therapy

“…SCs are notoriously difficult to classify, because new compounds with various structural changes appear constantly, and because both controlled and illegal research contribute to the development of this class of drugs. Usually, those SCs created for legitimate scientific purposes have a serial designation, frequently related to the laboratory or the researcher responsible for their creation [20]. Some examples include the AM series (derived from chemical biologist Alexandros Makriyannis) and the JWH series (named for Dr. John W. Huffman) [21].…”