Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) are a diverse class of new psychoactive substances (NPS) and new structural scaffolds have emerged on the recreational drug market since the enactment of Chinese SCRA analog controls in 2021. This study reports the first SCRAs to be detected with a bromide at the 5 position (5'Br) on the phenyl ring of the indazole core and without a tail moiety. ADB-5'Br-INACA (ADMB-5'Br-INACA) and MDMB-5'Br-INACA were detected in seized samples from Scottish prisons, Belgian customs, and US forensic casework.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlike other more established disciplines, a shared understanding and broad acceptance of the essence of forensic science, its purpose, and fundamental principles are still missing or mis-represented. This foundation has been overlooked, although recognised by many forensic science forefathers and seen as critical to this discipline's advancement. The Sydney Declaration attempts to revisit the essence of forensic science through its foundational basis, beyond organisations, technicalities or protocols.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEarly warning systems detect new psychoactive substances (NPS), while dedicated monitoring programs and routine drug and toxicology testing identify fluctuations in prevalence. We report the increasing prevalence of the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist (SCRA) ADB-BUTINACA (N-[1-amino-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutan-2-yl]-1-butyl-1H-indazole-3-carbox-amide). ADB-BUTINACA was first detected in a seizure in Sweden in 2019, and we report its detection in 13 routine Swedish forensic toxicology cases soon after.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA method for the quantitative analysis of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the main active ingredient of cannabis) in whole blood using solid phase extraction and LC/MS/MS has been developed. A bottom-up approach with method validation data was used to evaluate and estimate the measurement uncertainty (MU) of the analytical method. The sources of uncertainty were identified using a cause and effect diagram.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist (SCRA) market is transnational, and the availability of individual SCRAs changes regularly in response to national and international legislative controls. This generates a cyclic pattern and near constant evolution of SCRA compounds. This study reports toxicology-based and/or seized sample-based prevalence data relating to SCRA use in prisons from Germany, the United Kingdom (UK; Scotland and Wales), and the United States (US), representing 4427 individual test results.
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