Over the last two years, the number of synthetic cannabinoids reported to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has increased disproportionally compared to other novel psychoactive substance (NPS) groups, such phenethylamines and synthetic cathinones. In response to this increasing threat, the UNODC published a report that provides an overview of synthetic cannabinoids, including their history, current availability on the market, and use prevalence. The report was published on March 13, 2015 (
Global SMART Update Volume 13).
Key findings from the report:
- The emergence of a number of synthetic cannabinoids containing a 2-phenylpropan-2-yl group (e.g. CUMYL-PINACA) were reported for the first time in 2014.
- In some countries, including the United States and Luxembourg, legislation to control synthetic cannabinoids based on their neurochemical effects rather than chemical structure have been proposed.
- The latest synthetic cannabinoids to emerge in the NPS market include naphthoylindazoles such as THJ-018 and indazole carboxamides such as AKB-48.
- Halogenation of established synthetic cannabinoids is a common approach to increase potency for new substances. For example, XLR-11 is the halogenated derivative of UR-144.
- Over 30 countries have adopted a regulatory response to control one or more synthetic cannabinoids.
- In 2014, 39 percent of the NPS reported to the UNODC Early Warning Advisory on New Psychoactive Substances (EWA) corresponded to synthetic cannabinoids.
Cerilliant offers certified Snap-N-Spike® solution standards for a wide variety of synthetic cannabinoid classes including naphthoylindoles such as JWH-018 and AM-2201; phenylacetylindoles such as JWH-250; benzoylindoles such as RCS-4; cyclopropoylindoles such as UR-144 and XLR-11; indazole carboxamides such as AB-FUBINACA; and indole or indazole carboxylates such as PB-22 and 5-fluoro PB-22. Our reference standard offering of synthetic cannabinoids includes single-component standards and multi-component mixes of parent drugs, hydroxy (both omega and omega-1) and carboxylic acid metabolites, and stable-labeled internal standards. These drugs of abuse reference standards are suitable for use in numerous GC/MS or LC/MS testing applications from urine drug monitoring and forensic testing to clinical toxicology.
Cerilliant's USDEA exemptions and TK#s allow laboratories in the US and Canada to order standards of controlled NPS drugs without additional regulatory paperwork. Click on the links below to view listings of synthetic cannabinoids as well as other NPS certified Snap-N-Spike® solution standards: