Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology
January 1, 2025
Caitlin E Wolfe, Lachlan J Sund, John Rh Archer et al.
5 citations
In 2021, 258 UK deaths were attributed to novel psychoactive substances (NPS). Confirmatory testing for NPS is limited by cost and speed. Among 1000 acute recreational drug toxicity presentations to a central London hospital in 2019/20, 28 unique NPS were detected, compared to 31 in a 2016/17 cohort. Eight new NPS appeared in 2019/20: four benzodiazepines, two synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists, one cathinone, and one ketamine analogue. No NPS opioids were found in either cohort. Cannabis, ketamine, and opioid detection increased significantly from 2016/17 to 2019/20, while alcohol, cathinones, GHB, and MDMA decreased. The findings align with European forensic trends and underscore the need for ongoing surveillance of emerging drugs.
British journal of hospital medicine (London, England : 2005)
May 18, 2026
Karen L Erskine, Paul I Dargan, David M Wood
Chronic, high-dose recreational ketamine use is associated with dependence and long-term complications affecting the urinary tract, nervous system, mental health, and liver. This narrative review describes these complications and emphasizes the need for clinicians to recognize them early for proper investigation and management.
Archives of toxicology
November 1, 2022
Liesl K Janssens, Simon Hudson, David M Wood et al.
In 71 patients who used the synthetic cannabinoid 5F-MDMB-PICA, serum concentrations of the drug correlated with ex vivo activation of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor in a sigmoidal pattern. Two active metabolites were identified, but their overall contribution to cannabinoid activity in serum was negligible. Clinically, higher ex vivo cannabinoid activity was associated with a significant decrease in the Glasgow Coma Scale score, indicating reduced consciousness. In vitro pharmacological profiling could predict an individual's ex vivo CB1 activity, which in turn related to level of consciousness.
Substance use & misuse
January 28, 2017
Mark Haden, John R H Archer, Paul I Dargan et al.
MDMB-CHMICA, a synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist found in recreational drug products across Europe since August 2014, is widely available from online suppliers. A systematic review of scientific literature and Internet sources identified 78 websites selling it, with prices decreasing for larger quantities. User reports on discussion forums from October 2014 onward described euphoria as the most common positive effect (30.6% of 36 reports), but almost all reports (91.7%) mentioned adverse effects, most frequently palpitations (30.6%), vomiting (25.0%), loss of consciousness (16.7%), visual hallucinations (16.7%), chest pain (13.9%), and anxiety (13.9%). Published literature includes two case reports of fatalities and one series of analytically confirmed intoxications. Both users and suppliers warn of its high potency.