Designer Drugs 2.0
Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics January 13, 2017 M Huestis, Rachel F. Tyndale 12 citations
This special issue examines the dual nature of novel psychoactive substances and the repurposing of established psychoactive drugs. Synthetic cannabinoids, for instance, have much higher potency than Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol at cannabinoid receptors and were initially used as research tools but are now used illicitly and tested for clinical efficacy. Established drugs like psilocybin and LSD are being repurposed for indications where current medications are ineffective. The papers address problems such as adverse events, psychosis, rapid synthesis, abuse liability testing, internet sales, and scheduling, alongside therapeutic promises in cognition enhancement, exercise-mimetics, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and posttraumatic stress disorder.