BARELY LEGAL:
DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES
UNDER THE REGULATORY
RADAR
MICHAEL NERNEY and ASSOCIATES
P.O. Box 93
Long Lake, NY 12847 -0093
(518) 624-5351
mcnerneyLL@frontiernet.net
CONTEXT
 Legal Issues
 Federal Analogue Act
 21 U.S.C Sect. 813 of the United States Controlled Substances Act,
allows any chemical “substantially similar” to an illegal drug
(Schedule I or II) to be treated as a Schedule I. Must be intended for
human consumption.
 It’s About the Money
 Packaging Comments
 Not for human consumption
 Not for sale in the US
 Not to be sold to persons under 18
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
 Not new development
 More than 100 years
 Synthesis
 Extraction and synthesis since the 1850’s
 Aspirin, morphine, cocaine, caffeine, nicotine
 Semi-synthetics
 Heroin
 Analogues




A new form of designer drug
1960’s and 70’s hundreds of new drugs
80’s and 90’s new analogues each year
Tango and Cash, China White
THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN FACTOR
 Emotional Intensity
 Ages 11 – 24 years
 Amygdala
 Hormones
 Larger and more active
 2 to 4 times
https://images.nonexiste.net/popular/2012/03/30/diffusionspectrum-imaging-reveals-an-orderly-weave-of-nerve-fibers-in-thebrain/
THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN FACTOR, CON’T.
 Risk Taking and Peers
 Change at 13 years old
 New sites appear in brain
 Emotional reward for risk taking
 Peer influence
BRAIN FACTOR, CON’T.
 Social Media





Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube
Instant information
Personal communication
Possibly anonymous
Nearly every young person has access
THE PRODUCTS:
MARIJUANA SYNTHETICS
 Cannabinoids
 3 experimental strands:
 JWH-073, JWH-018, 200, 250
 CP 47, CP 80
 HU-210
 Clemson University
 John W. Huffman
MARIJUANA SYNTHETICS:
RESEARCH APPLICATION
 Animal Studies
 Medical Use of Cannabinoids
 Pain management
 Appetite regulation
 No human clinical trials
 Tested on primates and rodents
MARIJUANA SYNTHETICS:
DIVERTED TO THE PUBLIC
 K2, Spice, Blond, Standard, Spice Gold, Zohai, Genie
 3-4 years under radar
 2009 testing showed few herbal compounds
 New synthetic cannabinoids discovered
(knockoff)
MARIJUANA SYNTHETICS:
LEGAL STATUS
 Not legal in NYS
 Distribution
 Possession
http://www.floridaconnectsinc.com/florida-homes-auction-method-salesselling-auction-method-work/court-gavel
MARIJUANA SYNTHETICS:
EFFECTS
 Physical




Rapid onset
Dilated pupils
Time distortion
Speech may be confused and non-responsive
http://saypeople.com/2011/11/04/pupil-reflexes-without-brain-messaging/
MARIJUANA SYNTHETICS:
EFFECTS, CON’T
 Social/Emotional
 Bouts of laughter
 Interference with color and sound
http://beckyland.wo
rdpress.com/tag/sy
nesthesia/
MARIJUANA SYNTHETICS:
EFFECTS, CON’T
 Behavioral
 Increased appetite
 Cognitive deficiencies
 In vulnerable individuals:
 May lead to psychosis
 May deepen depression
MARIJUANA SYNTHETICS:
SIGNIFICANT RISKS
 Addiction
 Anandamide influence
 High potency – more activity in CB1 and CB2 sites
 May lead to dependency and addiction





Tolerance
Withdrawal
Compulsion
Loss of Control
Continued Use Despite Consequences
MARIJUANA SYNTHETICS:
SIGNIFICANT RISKS, CONT
 Non-responsive
 High dose – no divided attention
 Operation of any moving vehicle
 Not attentive to environmental risks
 Cognitive impact
 Measurable impact on memory and learning
 Potential paranoia and/or psychotic break
 Testing
 Requires specialized and sophisticated drug testing
MARIJUANA SUBSTITUTES
 Wicked X, Posh, Dank, K2 Compliant, Shakabuku, Kush,
Bombay Blue, Aztec Gold
 “Not for human consumption”
 Sold as potpourri or aromatherapy
 Discreet shipping
 Blend of herbal compounds may include:
 Canavalia rosea, Clematis vitalba, Nelumbo nucifera,
Pedicularis grandifolia, Heimia salicifolia,
Leonurus sibiricus and Ledum palustre,
Damiana, Lavender, Baybean, Yerba Mate
MARIJUANA SUBSTITUTES:
LEGAL STATUS
 Legal in many states
 Available on reservation
 Expensive product for mild high
MARIJUANA SUBSTITUTES:
EFFECTS
 Physical
 Mild mental stimulation
 Body relaxation
 Social/Emotional
 Relaxation
 Laughter
 Behavioral
 Disconnected
MARIJUANA SUBSTITUTES:
RISKS
 Lung function
 Joints, blunts, pipes, bongs
 Vaporizers
 Unknown herbal products
 Damiana
 Yerba Mate
 Loaded Blunts
 Herbals plus smokable:





Marijuana
Heroin
Cocaine
Methamphetamine
Ketamine
SALVIA DIVINORUM
 Diviner’s Sage
 Legal Status
 Source – Mexico/Florida Sun Pharm
 Potency ratings
 5x, 10x, 15x, 20x, 30x
 Salvinorin A
 Extract available
 Psychoactive compound
SALVIA DIVINORUM:
EFFECTS
 Physical
 Mild to moderate stimulation
 5-10 minute duration
 Uncoordinated
 Social/Emotional
 Tactile, auditory and visual hallucinations
 Extended bouts of laughter
 Confusion and fearfulness
SALVIA DIVINORUM:
EFFECTS, CONT.
 Behavioral
 Restless
 Non-responsive
 No impulse control
 At risk when unsupervised
 Motor control
 Depth perception
SALVIA DIVINORUM:
RISKS AND TESTING
 YouTube – Salvia Bad Trips
 Highly unpredictable
 Random rapid movements
 Injury to self or others
 Non-responsive to intervention
 Fatal accidents and falls
 Testing is limited
BATH SALTS
 Vanilla Skye, Red Dove, Blue Silk, Ocean Burst
 Not for Human Consumption
 Smoked, snorted, oral
 Injected
BATH SALTS, CONT
 Contents:
 Mephedrone
 Plant food
 Similar to amphetamine
 MDPV
 Similar to Ritalin
 Party enhancer
 Mimics ecstasy
 TFMPP
 Hallucinogenic
 Less powerful
BATH SALTS:
EFFECTS
 Physical





Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Stimulant, high energy
Restlessness
Decreased appetite
Impaired sleep
 Social/Emotional




Euphoria
Excitement
Alertness
Increased sexuality
 Behavioral
 Manic
 Repetitive behaviors
BATH SALTS:
RISKS
 Unpredictable
 Agitation and fearfulness
 Sleep deficits
 Aggressive paranoia
 Psychosis
 Seizures
 Coma
 Suicidal ideation
BATH SALTS:
LEGAL STATUS AND TESTING
 Illegal to distribute or possess
 Except for TFMPP
 2C-I
 Testing is specialized
ALCOHOL: NEW PRODUCTS
 Alcohol treats
 Pocket Shots
ALCOHOL: NEW PRODUCTS, CONT.
 Malt Beverages
 Malt brewed beer
 Sugars
 Flavors
 20 – 24 ounces
 7 – 13% alcohol
ALCOHOL: ROUTE OF ADMINISTRATION
 Oral
 Mucous membranes
 Inhalation
ALCOHOL: OTHER PRODUCTS
 Hand Sanitizer
 Infused Marijuana
ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE MIX.
 Impact on Brain
 Two systems activated
 Stimulatory – caffeine
 Biphasic – alcohol
 Harvard University study
 “Wide Awake Drunk”
ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE: RISK FACTORS
 Physical
 Energized
 Uncoordinated
 30% drop in glucose uptake in motor cortex
 30% drop in glucose uptake in visual cortex
 Slower reaction time
ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE: RISK
FACTORS, CONT.
 Behavioral
 Sense of competence
 Aggressive social interactions
 Twice as likely to suffer physical injury
 Twice as likely to get in fights
 Twice as likely to be either a victim or a perpetrator of
sexual assault
ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE: RISK FACTORS
 High risk when operating any moving vehicle
 Auto/motorcycle
 32% of all crashes alcohol-related
 Boat
 60% of fatalities alcohol-related
 Bike/skateboard
 High risk:
 Swimming
 Heights
 Parties
ALCOHOL AND
OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUGS
 Robo-shots
 Dextromethorphan
 Opioid cough suppressant
 Plus alcohol
 Rapid and powerful intoxication
 Motor control
 Impulse control
 Delusional
ALCOHOL AND
PRESCRIPTION PAIN MEDICATIONS
 Oxycontin
 Vicodin
 Roxanol
 Opana
ALCOHOL AND HEROIN
 Pain Medication
 Street Drug
 Routes of Administration
RISK FACTORS
 Addiction
 Infection
 Overdose
EMPATHOGENS
 Molly
 MDMA
Mollylicious
•PMMA
•MDMA
•Methamphetamine
•Caffeine
•Methylsulfonylmethan
e
•Safrole
•7
•6
•5
•2
•1
•1
May 26, 2012
EMPATHOGENS
 2c-I
Smiles
 Several Fatal Events
FROM THE KITCHEN
 Nutmeg
 Long lasting
 Side effects
 Hallucinogenic
HALLUCINOGENS
DMT
Dimethyltriptamine
Businessman's Lunch
WRAP UP
 Substantial uncertainty regarding actual ingredients
 Possible contaminants and/or toxins
 No accurate measurement of potency
 Unpredictable response
 No human trials
 No information regarding long-term health
consequences