Who invented spice k2

Chemists studying cannabinoids have become unwitting participants in a growing synthetic cannabinoid drug epidemic with no signs of stopping. The number of emergency room visits as a result of smoking synthetic cannabinoids, often laced with other drugs, is in the thousands annually, and poison control centers have seen a spike in calls about the compounds in recent years, with nearly 8, in Called K2 or Spice, these synthetic compounds first started sickening Americans in , with illnesses reported in Europe before the drugs reached the US.

Synthetic cannabinoids are not the first substances concocted in a lab and then hijacked for illicit use. The difference is that the structure of the cannabinoid system makes it receptive to a diverse set of compounds, setting it up as an easier target for an array of synthetic drugs compared to other systems, says Northeastern University chemical biologist Alexandros Makriyannis.

This means chemists studying cannabinoids have become unwitting participants in a growing synthetic cannabinoid drug epidemic with no signs of stopping. Makriyannis himself generated synthetic cannabinoids that served as blueprints for those later sold illegally. Back then, the research seemed a bit more straightforward. Alexander Todd of the University of Manchester and Roger Adams from the Noyes Chemical Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign were building analogs to cannabis using organic compounds called terpenoids to try to tease apart the bioactive elements of the drug and the effects they had on the body.

These two were the first to produce synthetic molecules that mimicked the effects of cannabis and to show that the compounds they made could have even greater physiological effects than marijuana. He and others subsequently started to make synthetic compounds based on the structure of THC. Among the products created was Nabilone , an FDA-approved drug first developed by Eli Lilly that is designed to reduce brain signals that spur nausea and vomiting, typically in response to cancer treatments such as chemotherapy.

Pfizer was also in on the work to make marijuana-based painkillers, which led to what the company called non-classical cannabinoids.

Drug Topics. More Drug Topics. Quick Links. About NIDA. Synthetic cannabinoids may affect the brain more powerfully than marijuana. Their effects can be unpredictable and, in some cases, more dangerous than cannabis.

But, despite well-known issues, these drugs are still in demand and homeless people, particularly, are at risk of mental health issues from their use. So what exactly are these drugs made of and why do they cause such violent reactions. Spice is not a single drug, but a range of laboratory-made chemicals that mimic the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol THC , the main psychoactive component of cannabis.

Research suggests that Spice and other forms of synthetic cannabis are capable of producing much more intense and prolonged effects at much lower doses than natural cannabis. This is because, while the THC in natural cannabis only partially reacts with the body, synthetic cannabis reacts far more fully. Although the consequences of long-term regular use are not well defined, experts believe that synthetic cannabis has the potential to develop, or cause a relapse of mental illness, especially if there is a family history of mental disorders.

In , the first synthetic cannabinoid — which reacts with the body in the same way as cannabis — was identified on the recreational drug market. Aminoalkylindoles — the most common sub-family of synthetic cannabinoids —- are produced, in kilogram quantities, through quick and simple chemical reactions using legal substances. These substances are produced on a large-scale by chemical companies based in China and then shipped, as bulk powders, to Europe by air or sea.