Novel Psychoactive Substances

designer drug is a drug that is

created to be only slightly different from an illegal drug so that it will not be considered illegal

Novel psychoactive substances is

a new narcotic or psychotropic drug that is not controlled by the UN drug conventions but which may pose a public health threat

legal high is a substance with

stimulant or mood-altering properties whose sale or use is not banned by current legislation regarding the misuse of drugs

\

designer drugs do 2 things

1. modifying chemical structure
2. finding drugs with similar effects

the cycle of drug discovery and law enforcement

1. new substance emerges
2. increase in prevalence
3. DEA issues scheduling notice
4. substance is controlled, decrease in use

Data for NPS

1. self reported data
2. clinical toxicology
3. animal studies
4. forensic data (PM tox, DUI tox, drug samples)

synthetic cathinones grew in popularity in

2010

khat’s plant name and what it looks like

catha edulis, flowering shrub

khat contains

cathinone and cathine

Khat has effects similar to __ that include __

amphetamine, euphoria, inc alertness, inc energy, HTN, cardiac arrhythmias

Kat’s ingestion-- can be

sprinkled onto foods, chewed like tobacco then retained in the cheek to release the drug

Cathinone is much __ potent than __

more, cathine

dried khat leaves can be made into a

tea or chewable paste

steet names for khat

Qat, Kat, Chat, Miraa, Quaadka

Cathinone is schedule

1

Cathine is schedule

4

Structure of cathinone

structure of cathine

Khat lacks sufficient macroscopic and microscopic characteristics for __

botanical identification

Khat vegetation can require an

organic neutral/organic base extraction to extract out active ingredients

methcathinone is synthesized by

the oxidation of pseudoephedrine or ephedrine in 1957 by Parke-Davis for pharmacological purposes

methcathinone administration is mainly through

insufflation, can also be smoked or dissolved in water and injected

highest use of methcathinone was seen in __ but has been replaced by …

the early 1990s, meth

people usually synthesize new cathinones by adding

alkyl side chains of varying lengths

Effects of methcathinone

nosebleeds, paranoia, delusions, hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, sweating, panic attacks, seizures, nausea and vomitting, agitation, insomnia, rapid heart rate (heart attack, stroke, chest pains), irritability, dizziness, depression

synthetic cathinones emerged in europe in the __,__ first seen in the __

mid 2000s, late 2000s

synthetic cathinones are falsely marketed as

plant food, bath salts, insect repellant in smoke shops and gas stations

examples of synthetic cathinones

butylone, dimethylone, ethylone, eutylone, pentylone

trends in syn cathinone usage

number JUMPED in 2010-2011, and then it plataued in October 2011 after a notice of intent was issued

piperazines have ___ effects similar to

stimulant/hallucinogenic, phenethylamines

piperazines are __ potent than phenethylamines

less

inc of use of piperazines in the

2000s

Piperazines are marketed as

legal ecstasy, legal E, legal X

Piperazines cause an

increase in heart rate, euphoria, seizures, and anxiety

structure of piperazine

N-benzylpiperazine (BZP) is a __ analog

phenylpiperazine

N-benzylpiperazine (BZP) was studied as a possible __ in the 1970s

antidepressant

N-benzylpiperazine (BZP) is commonly used

with other piperazines for ecstasy like effects

schedule of

N-benzylpiperazine (BZP)

1, since 2002

1-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl) piperazine (TFMPP) is a

substituted piperazine derivative

Effects of TFMPP

anxiolytic, antiaggressive locomotor inhibition, hyperthermia, respiratory depression

TFMPP has __ effects

MDMA-like

TFMPP is often seen in combo with

BZP

scheudle of TFMPP

not scheduled

route of administration for synthetic cathinones and piperazines

smoked or insufflated

oral dose of synthetic cathinones and piperazines

20 to 200 mg

Effects of synthetic cathinones and piperazines last for

6 to 8 hours

2C compounds are

2,5-dimethoxy substituted phenethylamines

2C compounds were synthesized by

Alexander Shulgin in the 1970s and 80s

structure of TFMPP

structure of BZP

2C compounds

hallucinogenic effects: euphoria, sharper senses

2C compounds are used as a

club drug in rave culture and party scene by young peeps

how do people administer 2C compounds

oral or insufflation

NBOMes differ from 2C compounds by

the addition of a 2-methoxybenzyl group on the nitrogren

NBOMes became popular in

2010-2011

2C compounds add onto the

3 and 4 positions

NBOMes are the legal alternative to

LSD

NBOMes bind to

serotonin receptors

DEA scheduled three

NBOMes in 2013--

C, B, and I

routes of administration for

NBOMes

blotter paper, injection, IV, IM, and IN

No reports of NBOMes before

June 2011

Flubromazolam is sold as a

legal high bc its not scheduled

Etizolam was the ___ common

most

Flubromazolam has __ effects

tranquilizing, anxiolytic, hypnotic, and muscle relaxant

Flubromazolam when abused can result in

coma or severe cardiorespiratory failure

Etizolam is not approved by the FDA but is approved for medical use in

Italy and Japan

Etizolam has __ effects

tranquilizing, anxiolytic, hypnotic effects, and is a muscle relaxant

Side effects of etizolam

eye twitching, skin lesions

3 examples of designer steroids

methasterole, prostanozol, and tetrahydrogenistrinone

Steroids were easy to schedule because they just scheduled

anything that was anabolic

Synthetic Cathinone trend

Came about in 2010/2011.

Methylone was most popular. Then it was replaced by ethylone. Then alpha-PVP. Then dibutylone.

Methylone was ______ 2011, then __ in 2013

temporarily scheduled, permanently scheduled

butylone was scheduled in

2014

structure of ethylone

structure of butylone

in 2018, __ was the most common synthetic cathinone

n-ethylpentylone

in 2021, __ was the most common synth cathinone

eutylone

NBOMes were most popular in __and then trailed off by__

2013, 2016

Screening for Syn Cath

GC-FID, UV spec, and color tests

Synth Cath confirmatory analysis

GC-MS, LC-MS, and FTIR

Challenges with Synth Cath

1. lack of reference materials
2. crystal polymorphism (solid can exhibit different crystalline structures)
3. isomers (should use FTIR)

Marquis turns __ with __

yellow, syn cath

CoSCN (Cobalt thiocyanate) turns __ with __

blue, syn cath

crystal polymorphism is when

solid-state matter where material can exhibit different crystalline structures which although processing the same chemical composition may manifest different properties

a compound that exhibits crystal polymorphism

ethylone hydrochloride

isomers should be analyzed via __

GC because they’ll have dif retention times

2 isomers that need to be differentiated are __ because …

eutylone and pentalone, eutylone is schedule III and pentalone is not scheduled

Microcrystalline test for BZP

platinic bromide creates rectangles with indented ends

Nitroprusside with BZP

turns blue

cobalt thiocyanate with BZP

no reaction

marquis reaction with BZP

no reaction

TFMPP with platinic bromide

oils, then clusters of rods from center core (overgrown bowties)

2C-B with Marquis

green

2C-B with Mecke

green to yellow to blue

2C-I with marquis

blue

2C-I with Mecke

brown-black

2C-T-2 with marquis

pale orange

2C-T-2 with Mecke

orange-red-purple

2C compounds all have very different

mass specs