Abstract
There is a growing use of novel psychoactive substances containing synthetic cannabinoids. Synthetic cannabinoid products have effects similar to those of natural cannabis, yet, these drugs are more potent and dangerous, and have been associated with dangerous adverse effects. Here, we review current literature on the epidemiology, acute, and chronic effects of synthetic and natural cannabinoid-based drugs. Synthetic drugs contain a mixture of psychoactive compounds that mostly bind cannabinoid receptors with high potency. These synthetic drugs replicate the effects of natural cannabis and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol but they induce more severe adverse effects including respiratory difficulties, hypertension, tachycardia, chest pain, muscle twitches, acute renal failure, anxiety, agitation, psychosis, suicidal ideation, and cognitive impairment. Chronic use of synthetic cannabinoids has been associated with serious psychiatric and medical conditions and even death. Given the growing popularity in the use of cannabinoid-based drugs and their harmful potential, there is a need for further research in this field.
Highlights
IntroductionAccording to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) ∼4% of the global adult population have used cannabis in their life
Cannabis is the most widely available and used drug across the world [1, 2]
The aim of the current review is to describe the available knowledge regarding acute and repeated consumption of both organic and synthetic cannabinoid drugs and their side effects from a public health prospective
Summary
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) ∼4% of the global adult population have used cannabis in their life. The therapeutic use of cannabis and its derivatives is increasing and has been evaluated for a various health conditions including; pain, anorexia, side-effects of chemotherapy, multiple sclerosis, and muscle spasms [4,5,6]. There is an increasing interesting on the therapeutic potential of cannabinoid-based medications [6, 17] repeated exposure to cannabinoid-agonists in either organic or synthetic forms is associated with both physically and psychological adverse effects [2, 10, 15, 18]
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