Legal Highs

Dr. Paul SkettForensic Pharmacologist

Glasgow Expert Witness Service

Outline

• Legal Highs – What are they?• Legal Highs – What do they do?• Legal Highs – toxicity?• What is the problem?

Legal Highs – What are they?• Legal Highs are substances that mimic

the effects of illegal drugs of abuse but are not (at present) covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

• Substances that mimic heroin, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines, ecstasy, benzodiazepines (e.g. diazepam, temazepam), LSD.

Legal Highs – What are they?

• Can range from herbal extracts that contain caffeine e.g. guarana, which are relatively benign to highly toxic synthetic chemicals.

Legal Highs – What are they?• Pharmaceutical companies spend

billions of pounds trying to find and test new drugs – the finding is easy – testing costs the money!

• Just need to look for similar but different structures

• Let’s look at an example

Mephedrone –v- Amphetamine

Amphetamine

Mephedrone –v- Amphetamine

Mephedrone Amphetamine

Mephedrone – what does it do?

• Designed to resemble amphetamine but actually has a mixture of properties similar to ecstasy and cocaine

• Euphoria, heightened awareness, alertness, talkativeness, empathy

Mephedrone – what does it do?

• Side effects – increased blood pressure, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, depression, fits, memory deficits.

Mephedrone

• Added to Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 on 16th April 2010 as well as other cathinones – i.e this was a generic regulation.

• So what did the suppliers do?

Naphyrone

• Suppliers had another substance waiting!

• Not in Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

• Added in June 2010

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

• Government now suggest “temporary” ban on “legal highs” – to allow “research” to be done to ascertain dangers.

• Will this work?

Other “Legal Highs”

• Anandamide – “legal” derivative of cannabis

• Fluorotropacocaine – “legal” derivative of cocaine

• All covered by Medicines Act 1968 if to be ingested – but often sold as “plant food”, “pond cleaner”, “bath salts”

What’s the problem?

• The word “legal” – legal suggests “safe”- “legal” draws in wider user base- few, if any, actually tested for toxicity- many have serious adverse effects

What’s the problem?

• Huge market – difficult to judge accurately but in the £ billions

• Largely in hands of criminal gangs – evidence at present is main source is China

• Many new substances waiting in the wings

What’s the problem?

• Not actually sure what you are getting

• New one out “Ivory Wave” – marketed as bath salts- no analysis as yet but word on the street is it is MPDV – methylenedioxypyrovalerone- actually a Class B drug

The Way Forward?

• Increasing pressure from many sides to move towards decriminalising drug abuse- it is a MEDICAL problem- supply pure, tested substances e.g. heroin, cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine

• Will society accept this?

My contact details

• Dr. Paul SkettForensic PharmacologistGEWS46A, Carlton Place,Glasgow G5 9TW.

• Tel: 0141-418 4325Fax: 0141-418 0518email: paul.skett@ntlworld.com