PSY-330 Final Exam Codie Place Cal Poly

Depressant

reduce activity in CNS;

widespread effect on brain

2 types of depressants

Sedatives (treat anxiety)

Hypnotics (treat insomnia)

Barbiturates

(1903) A category of depressant drugs that reduce anxiety and produce sleepiness.

2 types of barbiturates

Short acting -> rapid onset (sleep in high doses)

Long acting -> delayed onset (treat anxiety in low doses)

Concerns about barbiturates

1. ODs

2. Abuse/dependence -> short acting

Benzos

(1960) depresssant - Reduced anxiety w/ less drowsiness;

↑ safety margins;

ODs rare; generally only mixing w/ other depressants

Gamma Hydroxybutyric Acid (GHB)

Naturally occurs in the body

Similar structure to GABA

Similar behavioral effects to alcohol

Schedule I - except Xyrem (used to treat narcolepsy)

Alcohol

Depressant; = ethanol

Alcohol by volume (ABV)

% of ethanol content

Proof

2x % of ABV (e.g. 20% ABV = 40 proof)

Types of Alcohol

Beer - 5% ABV -> 12 oz

Wine - 12% ABV -> 5 oz fortified = 20%

Distilled spirits - Up to 95% ABV -> 1.5 oz of 80 proof, 1 oz of 100 proof

Grain neutral spirits

-Sold as everclear

-Used to make:

--Gin

--Vodka

--Whiskey (distilled @ lower proof >= 100 pf)

--Liqueurs (flavored, 20-25% ABV)

American Rev (related to alc)

more ppl drinking alc than water bc safer

Benjamin Rush

1st person to say alcohol addiction is a disease

Federal Prohibition (alcohol)

-18th amendment (1920)

-21st amendment repealed 18th (1933)

statistic about alcholo consuption

½ of all alcohol is consumed by 10% of drinkers

Methods of alcohol consumption

Novel methods, and: Tampons, butt chugging, eyeballing, snorting, IV

Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)

Concentration of alcohol in the blood

At what BAC level is vomiting triggered?

0.12 BAC

At what BAC level is vomiting inhibited?

0.2 BAC

What is the amount of alcohol metabolized per hour?

0.25-0.3 oz/hr

Do exercise and coffee speed up alcohol metabolism?

No

how long to completely sober up with BAC 0.2

about 14 hours (DRUG HANDOUT CANVAS?)

What are the sexual effects of alcohol?

Increased interest but impaired physical arousal, leading to risky sexual behavior.

What is a common cognitive effect of alcohol consumption?

Blackouts.

What types of crime are associated with alcohol use?

Crime and violence, including homicide and assault.

What percentage of individuals who commit homicide were under the influence of alcohol?

Half (½).

What is the relationship between alcohol and spousal/child abuse?

Alcohol is often involved in cases of spousal and child abuse.

What proportion of reported sexual assaults involve date rape?

One-third (⅓).

How is alcohol related to suicide?

Alcohol is involved in one-third (⅓) of suicides.

What is the second leading cause of suicide after depression?

Alcohol.

Opioids

-Drug derived from opium plant or synthetically produced that has opium-like effects

-Also known as a narcotic - greek word originally "to make numb"

How are opioids harvested?

Harvested as a gummy substance for 7-10 days of a plant's life

plant that opium comes from

Paparer Somniferum

1st writing of opioid addiction

-Long history of medical use - 6,000 yrs

-First writing of opioid addiction - 1,000 CE

What year was morphine isolated as the active ingredient in opium?

1806

How much more potent is morphine compared to opium?

10 times

What is the origin of the name 'morphine'?

Named after Morpheus, the god of dreams

What year was codeine isolated as the second most important ingredient in opium?

1832

What chemical modification was made to morphine in 1872?

Two acetyl groups were attached to morphine

How much more potent is heroin compared to morphine?

3 times

Why is heroin more potent than morphine?

Heroin's chemical structure is more lipophilic, allowing it to pass through the blood-brain barrier easier

What year was heroin originally marketed as a non-addictive cough suppressant?

1898

What is Narcan?

Narcan is a brand name for Naloxone.

What type of drug is Naloxone?

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist.

What is the mechanism of action of Naloxone?

Naloxone has a high affinity for opioid receptors, pushing opioids off the receptors.

What is a common cause of most opioid overdoses?

Most opioid overdoses are due to combining opioids with alcohol or other sedatives.

Why do opioids combined with alcohol or sedatives pose a risk?

Because they depress the nervous system too much.

Types of opioids

-Natural

--Derived from the actual plant

--Ex. morphine and codeine

-Semi-synthetic

--Partially man-made

--Ex. heroin, hydracodone, oxycodone, etc.

-Synthetic

--E.g. methadone (used to help curve withdrawal, half life is significantly longer), fentanyl

What is the method of action of opioids?

Opioids act by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord.

What are the three main opioid receptors?

Mu, Kappa, and Delta.

What is the role of the Mu receptor?

The Mu receptor is involved in pain perception and euphoria, primarily mediated by endorphins.

What is the role of the Kappa receptor?

The Kappa receptor is involved in pain perception and euphoria, primarily mediated by dynorphins.

What is the role of the Delta receptor?

The Delta receptor is primarily involved in chronic pain, mediated by enkephalins.

Opium is ___ times more potent than morphine

10

Morphine is ___ times more potent than Heroin

3

Morphine is ___ times more potent than fentanyl

100

Species of Cannabis

Sativa - Higher THC than CBD ratio

Indica - ~ 50/50 THC/CBD

Cannabinoids

active compounds in cannabis

-THC -> psychoactive agent

-CBD -> not psychoactive

THC mostly found in the _________________ of plant

resin of the trichomes

History of Cannabis

-1st mention 2737 BCE in a Chinese pharmacology book

-1st mention recreational/social use 1000 CE

-1970 - War on Drugs

--Schedule I (federal)

-State

--medical legalization CA in 1996

--Recreational legalization CO & WA in 2012

Table 13.3 Cannabis pharmacokinetics

Half-life of Cannabis

19 hours

-45 active metabolites

Elimination of Cannabis

Metabolized and then excreted in feces 65-80%, urine 20-35%

Cannabinoid System

CB1 -> found in brain & NS

CB2 -> found in immune and gut cells

psychomimetric

mimic psychosis

-controversial -> implies psychedelics produce "dangerous" effects and a form of mental illness

psychedelics

capable of altering perceptions while being in touch w/ present

LSD

type of psychedelic

-Schedule I

-modifies perception (especially visual images)

History of psychedelics

-1st synthesized in 1938

-psychotherapeutic beliefs (research stopped ~ 1974)

psilocybin

(Schedule I)

Treats:

-depression

-addiction

-eating disorders

-PTSD

-end of life anxiety

when psilocybin isolated

-isolated in 1958

Yale study on psilocybin

found it...

-inc. neural connections by 10%

-connections were 10% stronger

Mescaline

(schedule I) active ingredient in Peyote - synthesized in 1918

Doses of mescaline

-low dose = euphoria

-high dose = hallucinations

MDMA

A compound drug related to both amphetamines and hallucinogens, especially mescaline; commonly called "ecstasy."

history of MDMA

-legal until 1985 (was being used therap. then got into parties

FDA approval timeline

-2004 1st FDA/DEA approved clinical trial

-2006-2017 -> multiple additional studies

-2017 -> MDMA granted "breakthrough" therapy status

-2018 - 1st phase 3 clinical trail

-2023 - 2nd

-Feb 2024 - new drug app accepted by FDA

-Rejected in Aug 2024

Ketamine

(schedule III) general anesthetic; helps build new neural networks

psilocybin and ketamine both: _____

increase the density of dendritic spines

-different MOAs but similar results

what DOESN'T work for drug ed

-Scare tactics

-Just say no (Anti-Drug)

-D.A.R.E

Goal of drug ed

Goal != changed behavior

Goal = informed decision

US drug policy is ______

reactive, ineffective - not based on science/research

social issues with US drug policy (stats)

-80% of drug arrests are for possession

-US gen pop = 6% black males -> Black males = 40% of U.S. Prison pop.

Portugal Decrimmed (all drugs) in _____

1999

2019 Drug deaths per 100K

Portugal = .6

EU = 2.37

USA = 21.6

HIV shit

HIV (2% of EU pop) (50% of EU's cases of HIV)

2001: Portugal -> 1,287 HIV cases (all inj drug use)

2019: Portugal -> 16 HIV cases (1.68^ of EU HIV cases) (all inj drug use)

Protugal Prison

2001: Portugal -> 40% of prison pop drug related crimes

2019: Portugal -> 15.7%

Social cost

-drug rehab

-incarceration

-LE

-decreased productivity

E.g. all costs related to drug use

Portugal social cost of drug use fell by 18% in the 1st 10 years after decrim