Usage of synthetic cannabinoids in Australia
The scientific journal The Lancet has estimated that the usage rate of marijuana in Australia is three times the global average.
This high usage, and the long window of detection of the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), has created a growing demand for synthetic compounds that mimic the effect of THC.
Synthetic cannabis, often called K2, Spice or Kronic, became widely available over the internet, and later through retail outlets, from the early 2000s. It operated in a legal grey area: existing legislation did not explicitly prohibit these chemical compounds, and manufacturers advertised that the drugs were not illegal.
Synthetic cannabinoid compounds
The synthetic cannabinoid class of drugs, which produce an effect pharmacologically similar to THC, currently includes benzoylindoles, naphthoylindoles, non-classical cannabinoids, adamantoylindoles and phenylacetylindoles.
Within each of these chemical classes are several compounds capable of being psychoactive and of interfering with a person’s fine motor skills, risk analysis and judgement.
It is estimated that more than 200 different chemical compounds are marketed as synthetic cannabis. THC is usually considered the active ingredient of the cannabis plant, Cannabis sativa, but recent research has shown another 65 chemicals in the bud of the plant that could also produce a similar effect. Each of these could potentially be synthesised, and each has various isomers that could also be psychoactive. The problem of synthetic cannabis is immense and does not yet have a readily identified solution.
Perhaps the most disturbing finding about synthetic cannabis is that its use rests on three key points:
- it is ‘legal’
- it is easy to obtain
- it is used to evade drug testing procedures.
Testing for synthetic cannabinoids
Each time a urine sample is tested for synthetic cannabis, the laboratory is searching for many different chemical compounds. JWH-250 alone has 20 different metabolites that are detectable in urine. The chemical diversity of this class of drugs makes finding positive results extremely difficult.
Research by Curtin University found the following about Kronic users:
- the median age is 27
- 77% are male
- 78% were employed
- 86% had completed secondary school.
Synthetic cannabinoids are a real and ongoing problem for employers. Organisations that take their responsibility to provide a safe workplace seriously need to continue testing for these compounds.
Currently the most effective way to detect the metabolites of synthetic cannabinoids is liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS). It is more sensitive and flexible than GCMS and gives the best likelihood of success.
Source: Safe Work Laboratories.