The cutting edge of the easy high

Perhaps the most complete scientific review of what we know about synthetic cannabis or ‘spice’ products has just appeared in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.

These ‘legal highs’ are typically sold as nudge-nudge wink-wink ‘incense’ but contain synthetic cannabinoids which have a similar effect to smoking dope but are legal in many countries.

We covered the history of these compounds recently and we also discussed the market approach of the neuroscientist-packing ‘legal high industry’ back in 2009.

Essentially, the industry is based on the fact that their psychopharmacologists can churn out new substances faster than governments can regular against them, with the web providing a distributed marketplace that opens up the customer base.

This new article takes a scientific look at what compounds are actually appearing in ‘synthetic marijuana’ (of which there are many and various) as well as examining the known effects, good and bad.

If you’re not into phrases like “well-characterized aminoalkylindole class of ligands” you may want to skip the neurochemistry and just focus on the availability and effects.

It’s probably the most complete review of these compounds available to date, so definitely worth a look if you’re tracking the ‘synthetic blow’ story.

Link to ‘Beyond THC’ on cannabinoid designer drugs (via @sarcastic_f)

View the original article here