Adolescent Synthetic Cannabinoid Treatment



Synthetic Cannabinoid Treatment

Introduction

Use of synthetic cannabinoid products among adolescents is gaining prominence since the last few years, but yet their exists no significant study to evaluate the treatment of adolescents using synthetic cannabinoid. As cannabinoids are pre-dominantly compounds or products having cannabinol and the active ingredients of cannabis, it could register similar effects as strong drugs like hashish; although it is also used as traditional medicine, but yet with the absence of significant literature on the synthetic cannabinoid treatment and its consequences, an adolescent is greatly exposed to increased psychosis risk. Thus the study is vital to be undertaken so as to indicate any side-effects or if the treatment results in any psychoactive or physical effect upon the patient.

Discussion

Synthetic cannabinoid products shortened as SCP's, are now easily available and can be attained by adolescents conveniently, with the compound being sold in the market by the name of 'Spice' and 'K2' or through the internet for more than eight years now. They are marketed by the sellers as herbal incense though when these smoking blends are smoked, they deliver the same physical and psychoactive effects as other cannabis drugs. It has been reported by researches that none of the effects are because of the addition of herbal ingredients but rather because of the inherent properties of cannabinoid compounds which is precisely induced through the addition of synthetic cannabinoid.

Structure

Synthetic cannabinoid compounds are basically groups of molecules classified on the basis of diversified structures but are characteristically and functionally similar to that of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), psychoactive ingredient present in cannabis. SCP's have gained popularity among the youngsters and adolescents because of their relativity with cannabis compounds and thus their ability to produce cannabis like effects, in addition to the easy availability of the product and lack of reliable toxicological methods for detection of the usage.

Treatment

Cannabis has been greatly used for the treatment of pain spasms, to ward off sleep deprivation and nauseous feeling or vomiting since 60's, when it was found. But then, few years later it was classified as Anti-Narcotics by all the countries with no therapeutic benefits therefore it cannot be prescribed to the patients by physicians and thereby cannot be dispensed by the pharmacists as well. This prompted the increase of self-prescription among the patients to ward off the symptoms they are having through the use of products having cannabis.

A standardized survey was conducted in Germany, Switzerland and Austria by the Association of Cannabis as Medicine of Germany, to determine the medical use of cannabis by the patients in the region. Participation of 170 subjects in the survey and the evaluation of 128 questionnaires resulted in the finding that the most common reason behind the use of synthetic product for its cannabis-like effect is depression followed by multiple sclerosis, HIV infection, migraine, asthma and back pain. 72.2 of the sample reported the improvement in their illness after the ingestion of the drug with 60.8% reporting very satisfied with therapeutic use of the ...