Not enough is known about many of these drugs to know their potency, their effects on people, or what happens when used with other substances or alcohol. How long is a line of cocaine? These synthetic substances are so new and so little tested that it is impossible to say exactly what their health effects are. But there are a few common patterns. Thus, the term “synthetic drugs” includes a number of substances that are used recreationally, are not covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971), are not approved for “legal” use, and are not covered by the Drug Act (1968). These are chemicals produced by optimizing or modifying the molecular structure of previously known psychoactive substances. With the declaration that they are “not for human consumption” or simply “bath salts”, they can be sold legally. Hundreds of these substances are now available, reflecting the ease with which chemists can manufacture them. Some of them are not regulated by the Misuse of Drugs Act, but amendments have been made that make it illegal to sell or provide them for human use under drug legislation. Piperazine derivatives, a class of amphetamine-like compounds that include BZP (benzylpiperazine) and TFMPP (trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine), are making a comeback as “legal ecstasy.” Often perceived as safe by the public, side effects can range from minimal to life-threatening.

Taking BZP and TFMPP at the same time causes an increased effect of dopamine and serotonin, similar to MDMA. Severe symptoms include seizures, hyperthermia, hyponatremia, dystonic reactions, rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, metabolic acidosis, DIC, and respiratory failure. 20 In recent years, piperazine derivatives have been sold in the form of ecstasy pills or under the names `Frenzy`, `Bliss`, `Charge`, `Herbal ecstasy`, `A2`, `Legal X` and `Legal E`. Although piperazine-based designer drugs have a reputation for being safe, they can lead to distorted perception after ingestion. There are several reports of toxic symptoms experienced by users after taking drugs. Piperazine compounds are derived from piperazine, a cyclic molecule containing two opposing nitrogen atoms and four carbon atoms distributed in between, originally used as an antihelminthic agent in the 1950s. Synthetic drugs of this class can be divided into benzylpiperazines such as benzylpiperazine (BZP) and its analogue methylenedioxy methylenedioxy methylenedioxy (MDBP) and phenylpiperazines such as chlorophenylpiperazine (CPP), trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (TFMPP) and methoxyphenylpiperazine (MeOPP). A third group includes thienylmethylpiperazines. Chlorophenylpiperazine is an active metabolite of drugs such as trazodone and nefazodone, which are used as antidepressants. A survey conducted in the United Kingdom found that piperazines are among the most common active ingredients in tablets purchased from internet service providers. Piperazine-derived compounds are therefore new synthetic drugs whose abuse has increased remarkably worldwide.21 Synthetic legal highs have a chemical composition very similar to that of illicit drugs. But Brainiac chemists optimize the compounds and make tiny variations so they aren`t covered by drug law.

And as soon as the government catches up with a certain link, chemists get to work creating a new one; It is usually similar enough to produce the same type of effect, but chemically different enough to be legal. Talk about a balancing act. Customers might think that because these substances are so readily available and not illegal, they need to be safe, but that`s not always the case. The World Drug Report (available on the Internet), produced annually by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), provides information on the production and marketing of illicit drugs worldwide. The 2013 report highlights a marked increase in the availability of new substances. Part of the challenge lies in their diversity – some come from plants, for example the mint plant Salvia divinorum, native to Mexico, with synthetic cathinones and cannabinoids also making an important contribution in other countries. The government is trying to keep up with all these new “marks” of legal highs, making many of them illegal from April 2010. But suppliers are quick to invent these different but similar chemicals to replace them, always staying one step ahead of the law. The only real way to stop people from taking them is for them to have a bad experience. For example, Donna* is now completely drug-free and even regrets her time, saying she was stupid to believe that nothing would happen to her.

But if they suffer from addiction, even that may not make a difference. To find out how you can help someone in this position, click here. There are no long-term studies on these drugs, so no one really knows what the long-term health risks are. When you buy new psychoactive substances, you can never be sure that what you are buying is what it claims to be. Even if the packaging describes a list of ingredients, you cannot be sure that it contains the same substances. From the above description, it can be seen that synthetic drugs fall into three broad categories: synthetic cathinones (bath salts), synthetic cannabinoids (spices or incense) and amphetamine-type drugs (methamphetamine, ephedrine, MDMA). Cathones, which are related to the amphetamine family, cause dilated pupils, high blood pressure, hyperventilation, paranoia, agitation, hyperthermia, tremors and convulsions. Many countries have declared some cathinones illegal, e.g. mephedrone, methylone and MDPV.

In fact, robust stimulation of dopamine transmission by MDPV predicts serious potential for abuse and may provide a mechanism to explain the side effects seen in people taking high doses of “bath salt” supplements. In addition, pyrovalerone is much stronger than cocaine in inhibiting the absorption of dopamine and norepinephrine. Despite the legality of CBD in North Carolina, there are fears that it could become illegal again without a quick change in state laws. Senator Michael Lee said this is something he thinks lawmakers will work on before it happens. For the most part, they are not illegal. Some of them are synthetic, while others are derived from plants. One thing they have in common is their status not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. The cost varies depending on the part of the country you live in. The oil extracted from the bark or fruits of sassafras, called safrole, can be used to make methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), a mildly hallucinogenic sibling of MDMA (ecstasy). However, there is a catch.

While the sassafras tree is legal for anyone to grow, buy and possess, safrole is a controlled substance. Essential oil manufacturers can still sell safrole for topical use, but they must report suspicious purchases of safrole oil to the DEA. The use of safrole to make MDA remains illegal (as does the possession of MDA). Legal highs cannot be sold for human consumption, so they are often sold as bath salts, incense, plant foods or advertised as “not for human consumption” to circumvent the law. The packaging may describe a list of ingredients, but you cannot be sure that the product will be included. This is a type of substance that has the same effect as an illegal drug, but can be purchased legally and openly. They are not regulated under the Substance Misuse Act, although changes have been or will be made to control these substances. Despite efforts to make substances like kratom illegal at the federal level, lawmakers have stopped. Some states have banned the product — but there are no laws against it in North Carolina.

“We obviously have these synthetic drugs that are sold in different stores — once the state or the federal government makes them illegal, they [the manufacturers] just change a molecule, and it`s renamed in the same store,” said Lt. Jerry Brewer of the New Hanover County Sheriff`s Office. In May 2016, the Psychoactive Substances Act entered into force. The law generally prohibits legal highs and criminalizes the production, sale, supply and distribution of legal highs. This does not replace the Misuse of Substances Act, but it makes it a criminal offence to legally produce or dispense legal highs (without nicotine, alcohol and caffeine). Offenders face up to seven years in prison under the Psychoactive Substances Act. Keep in mind that these laws only make distribution illegal, not possession. The problem is that many of these substances contain all sorts of chemicals that haven`t always been tested for human consumption.