Analysis of the pharmacological properties of JWH-122 isomers and THJ-2201, RCS-4 and AB-CHMINACA in HEK293T cells and hippocampal neurons.

Synthetic cannabinoids are marketed as legal alternatives to Δ-THC, and are a growing worldwide concern as these drugs are associated with severe adverse effects. Unfortunately, insufficient information regarding the physiological and pharmacological effects of emerging synthetic cannabinoids (ESCs) makes their regulation by government authorities difficult. One strategy used to evade regulation is to distribute isomers of regulated synthetic cannabinoids.

Pharmacological characterization of emerging synthetic cannabinoids in HEK293T cells and hippocampal neurons.

There has been a worldwide proliferation of synthetic cannabinoids that have become marketed as legal alternatives to cannabis (marijuana). Unfortunately, there is a dearth of information about the pharmacological effects of many of these emerging synthetic cannabinoids (ESCs), which presents a challenge for regulatory authorities that need to take such scientific evidence into consideration in order to regulate ECSs as controlled substances. We aimed to characterize the pharmacological properties of ten ESCs using two cell based assays that enabled the determination of potency and efficacy relative to a panel of well-characterized cannabinoids.