Synthetic drugs: their main types, effects and characteristics.

A summary of the most commonly marketed synthetic drugs and their effects and potential dangers.

Synthetic drugs are substances created in laboratories that have psychoactive effects and are marketed illicitly, often taking advantage of the legal vacuum that exists when it comes to defining what is an illegal drug.

These substances are originally drugs created to improve the health of patients suffering from different diseases, but when their adverse effects were discovered, they were discarded for therapeutic purposes, although they were reused by the drug trafficking market.

There are thousands of them and The following are the main types of synthetic drugs on the grey market. that exist in the gray market.

What are synthetic drugs?

Synthetic drugs are chemical substances manufactured in laboratories that cause some kind of effect on the central nervous system, inducing potentially dangerous psychoactive effects, in addition to various organic alterations. in addition to various organic alterations. Most of them are substances that were originally manufactured for therapeutic purposes but, being unsafe, were discarded, but drug traffickers and some unscrupulous chemists and pharmacists recover them and trade them illicitly.

Many synthetic drugs are sold as designer drugs, which are attractive to young people because of their eye-catching format, coming in the form of colored pills, bottles with attractive liquids and bags of various powders. These drugs are synthesized with due regard to current legality, altering the original composition of the drug on which they are based to avoid being classified as illegal. Basically, they consist of replicas of drugs discarded for therapeutic use but with some changes in their composition, so that they cannot be considered illegal substances at first.

However, as the authorities catch up with the new drugs on the market and make them illegal, the chemists who produce them change their "recipe" in order to continue their illicit business. Thus, synthetic drugs constitute what has been called the grey market, halfway between legal pharmacy substances and the black market with totally illegalized drugs.. Designer drugs are still harmful to the organism, but as there are a lot of new ones, the authorities are having a really hard time to crack down on the market.

Some of these synthetic drugs are sold both on the Internet and in stores under the label "not for human consumption", marketing them as herbal incense, plant fertilizer, bath salts or jewelry cleaner. In this way their manufacturers wash their hands when authorities call their attention to the drug addictive use by their buyers, saying these manufacturers clearly state that they are not suitable for people to consume.

Dangerous effects

There are thousands of synthetic drugs, and each one causes different psychoactive effects, although in most cases they are used to inhibit pain, alternate visual and acoustic perceptions and change mood. But despite these "positive" effects, there are many more negative effects, both short and long term, all of them dangerous..

In the short term, they can cause memory loss and lack of appetite along with mental problems such as anxiety, depression, obsessions, sleep disorders, panic attacks and aggressiveness. They can cause cerebral infarctions, thrombosis and even lead to the death of the user. They can also cause hyperthermia, i.e. an increase in body temperature, leading to dehydration of the user. In the long term, they can cause irreversible neurological damage..

Main types of synthetic drugs

As mentioned above, the synthetic drug market is a world that takes advantage of existing legal loopholes when a new drug is introduced, although it is only a matter of time before it is declared illegal, motivating its manufacturers to change the recipe. This means that the drugs available on the gray market are constantly changing in both their format, which makes the extensive list of synthetic drugs that we can find in a not very licit way very long.

However, here are some of the most striking ones, what effects they produce, what they are made of and some of their trade names.

1. Synthetic cathinones

Synthetic cathinones have a chemical composition similar to the plant Catha edulis cultivated in East Africa. These drugs are commonly marketed as "bath salts" and are available on the Internet. Among the most prominent are methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and mephedrone. MDPV is 10 to 50 times more potent than cocaine and the risk of overdose is very high.

Marketing

Synthetic cathinones are marketed in small vials containing a fine powder that is bottles containing a fine off-white or slightly yellow powder. labeled for a stimulant bath, as a plant fertilizer and with a "not for human consumption" safeguard. These drugs can be inhaled, smoked, ingested or injected.

They can be called by many names: Buzz, Vanilla Sky, Ocean, Eight Ball, White Dove or White Girl are some of them.

Effects

Consuming this drug causes the user to engage in bizarre homicidal and suicidal behaviors in addition to suffering from paranoia and hallucinations. The person feels terrified and reacts violently to others.. They may also suffer from agitation, insomnia, irritability, panic attacks, loss of body control, problems thinking clearly, dizziness, delusions and depression.

In terms of physiological effects, synthetic cathinones can cause liver and kidney failure, as well as seizures. They are highly addictive drugs that cause chest pains, increased heart rate, nosebleeds, sweating, nausea and vomiting.

2. Synthetic cannabinoids

Cannabinoids are synthetic substances that emulate the effects of marijuana. emulate the effects of marijuana even though chemically they have nothing in common with marijuana, except that they cause the body to experience a except for provoking in the body a reaction similar to how smoked natural marijuana does.

In the case of synthetic cannabinoids, these are sprayed on the weed to be smoked afterwards, being the damiana plant or shepherd's weed (Turnera diffusa) the most used. This plant already contains a mild drug that provokes a reaction of euphoria.

Commercialization

Synthetic cannabinoids are marketed in foil packets, labeled with various names: K2, K3 Legal, Spice Gold, King Kong, Cloud 9, K2, K3 Legal, Spice Gold, King Kong, Cloud 9. or any of the names the manufacturer can think of. It is commonly sold as incense or as a plant spray.

The drug itself has several names in drug slang, referring directly to the chemical formula of cannabinoids: JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-370, HU-210, CP 47.497, AM-1248 and XLR-11.

The acronym JWH refers to the inventor of this substance, John W. Huffman, who developed cannabinoids with the intention of creating drugs to help patients with multiple sclerosis or AIDS, and when he learned about the illicit use that was being made of his creation, he felt very upset and disappointed.

Effects

Synthetic cannabinoids have effects four times greater than those produced by marijuana when smoked.. At first they begin to take effect slowly but then their effect is much more potent, to the point that the person may be surprised at how much "high" they produce.

They cause agitation, accelerated heart rate, confusion, nausea and dizziness. There have also been reported cases of people experiencing chest pain after consumption of synthetic cannabinoids, as well as severe heart damage.

3. Synthetic Cocaine

Synthetic cocaine chemically emulates cocaine, but unlike cocaine, its designer version is legal in most countries.. It has anesthetic properties and there are currently two forms of the drug available on the grey market: 3-(p-fluorobenzoyloxy)tropane, known as pFBT; and dimethocaine.

Commercialization

This copy of cocaine is available in stores and on websites, labeled as a research chemical or plant fertilizer.. They are snorted, just as real cocaine is snorted.

Among the names dimethocaine is known on the market are Mind Melt, Amplified and Mint Mania.

Effects

It has stimulant effects and therefore can cause high Blood Pressure and increased heart rate. It can cause anxiety and psychotic episodesalthough they are temporary.

4. ketamine

Ketamine is synthesized and used as an animal tranquilizer after being discarded as a human anesthetic.. The reason for this was that it causes unpleasant side effects, including agitation and hallucinations. Chemically it is very similar to Angel powder (PCP).

Marketing

Its purchase for the veterinary clinic is legal. Ketamine users obtain it by stealing it from veterinarians or buying it directly from those who have no compunction about selling it.

It is used in pill, powder or liquid form and is consumed by smoking it mixed with herbs, snorting it or injecting it. In drops it can be administered directly into the eyes, the skin or in a glass of drink.

Commercially it is sold under the name Ketaved, Tekaset, Vetamine, Vetalar and Ketalar. It receives various nicknames in the slang of its consumers such as Vitamin K, Special K, Super K, Kit Kat, Jet, K, Lady K, Super Acid and Cat Valium.

Effects

It causes sedation, dissociation, that is to say, disconnection of the conscience of oneself and one's own thoughts.in addition to the aforementioned hallucinations.

If consumed for a long time, ketamine has the particularity that it can cause irreversible damage to the bladder and even destroy it. Many addicts suffer severe pain when urinating and require surgery to repair their bladders. Sometimes the damage is so severe that the bladder must be removed.

5. Ecstasy

MDMA or ecstasy is a phenethylamine that is widely consumed at concerts, music festivals and nightclubs.. The reason for this is because it causes an acute perception of music and lights, elements that are not lacking in this type of events.

Marketing

MDMA can be found on the drug market in the form of colored pills with very striking designs or logos, referring to pop culture symbols. They can be sold in packets or individually.

Effects

It makes the heartbeat and breathing more noticeable, in addition to drastically raising body temperature, something that can lead to death from overheating. It also causes greater closeness to others and increased skin sensitivity. PIt can cause attacks of paranoia, panic attacks, and panic attacks..

When the effects begin to wear off, the jaw muscles may cramp, which is why many ecstasy users wear pacifiers to prevent their teeth from grinding.

6. Tryptamines

Tryptamines are synthetic hallucinogenic drugs. These drugs have effects similar to psilocybin, a substance found in mushrooms.a substance found in hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Marketing

Tryptamines can be found sold in the form of light-colored powder in plastic bags, labeled "research chemicals". They are readily available on the Internet, which is how young people buy them.

Effects

The psychoactive effects include distortion of sight, sound and time. The consumer is unable to make rational judgments, which makes him/her more prone to take risks and harm him/herself. Amnesia may also occur, although it is a rather temporary condition.

Its most striking physical effect is to cause muscle tension, to the point of breaking the muscles, jaw tension, nausea and vomiting.. Other symptoms are panic attacks, anxiety, restlessness and confusion.

7. Piperazines

Piperazines were originally created as antidepressants, but their therapeutic use was abandoned due to the problems associated with their consumption.

Marketing

These drugs are sold as party pills and their users are misled consumers are deceived by being told that they are made from natural herbs, although they are purely chemical.However, they are pure laboratory chemistry.

These drugs are available in combination with other designer drugs, including amphetamines, ketamine and ecstasy, as well as natural and synthetic cocaine. Some pills marketed as MDMA are actually a combination of piperazines with caffeine.

Effects

Piperazine use causes various physical effects, including loss of appetite, headaches, tremors, stomach pains, chills, and sensitivity to light and noise, as well as tonic-clonic seizures. May cause death.

Psychological effects include mood swings, confusion, irritability, insomnia, fatigue, panic attacks, and fear of losing control.

Bibliographic references:

• Wohlfarth A, Weinmann W (2010). "Bioanalysis of new designer drugs". Bioanalysis. 2 (5): 965-79. doi:10.4155/bio.10.32. PMID 21083227.
• Reneman L (2003). "Designer drugs: how dangerous are they?". J. Neural Transm. Suppl. (66): 61-83. doi:10.1007/978-3-7091-0541-2_4. ISBN 978-3-2-211-01316-8. PMID 14582803
• Venhuis BJ, Blok-Tip L, de Kaste D (2008). "Designer drugs in herbal aphrodisiacs". Forensic Sci. Int. 177 (2-3): e25-7. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2007.11.007. PMID 18178354
• Narconon (n.d.) Synthetic drug classes. Narconon. Los Angeles, United States. Retrieved from: https://www.narconon.org/es/consumo-de-drogas/clases-de-drogas-sinteticas.html