Among 8324 drug samples submitted to a Spanish harm-reduction organization between 2014 and 2015, nine were gummy formulations—a novel delivery form for psychoactive substances. Analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that 55.5% of these gummies contained multiple drugs. The most common substance was 25N-NBOMe, found in 66.7% of samples; other detected substances included 2C-E, 2C-D, allylescaline, cocaine, THC, ketamine, MDMA, and caffeine. Only 25N-NBOMe was present in an active dosage. Two-thirds of the gummies did not contain the substance the consumer expected, indicating risks of unintended effects.
CDK5, a kinase that regulates neurotransmission, and its partner PSD95 were studied in olfactory cells from first-episode psychosis patients with and without prior cannabis use, and in a mouse model. Patients who had used cannabis showed less social impairment, lower CDK5, and higher PSD95 than non-users. Treating cells from non-users with a cannabinoid agonist in vitro reduced CDK5. In mice, the NMDA blocker PCP caused social deficits and altered PSD95/CDK5, which were partly reversed by adding a cannabinoid agonist or by blocking CDK5 activity. Increased CDK5 may be an early marker of psychosis-related social deficits, modulated by cannabis.