Effects of external influences on synthetic cannabinoid trends in New Zealand, 2014 to 2020

C R Stansfield; R F Somerville; V R Hassan; E Kolbe; H K Partington; K A J Walsh; C S Johnson

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110485

Effects of external influences on synthetic cannabinoid trends in New Zealand, 2014 to 2020

Forensic Sci Int. 2020 Nov:316:110485. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110485. Epub 2020 Sep 6.

Authors

C R Stansfield¹, R F Somerville², V R Hassan², E Kolbe², H K Partington², K A J Walsh², C S Johnson²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR), Auckland, New Zealand. Electronic address: chrissy.stansfield@esr.cri.nz.
² Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR), Auckland, New Zealand.

PMID: 32919165
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110485

Abstract

Over the past decade, synthetic cannabinoids have inundated the global market and now form the largest category of new psychoactive substances. Once these chemicals are available on the global market, they can be applied to plant material in a clandestine environment to create an end-product that is smoked by the user. The synthetic cannabinoids AMB-FUBINACA and 5F-ADB were most frequently detected between 2017 and the beginning of 2019. More recently, these two appear to have been replaced by different synthetic cannabinoids. This investigation summarises the recent trends in synthetic cannabinoids detected in New Zealand between 2017 and 2020 and outlines the potential factors influencing these trends.

Keywords: 5F-ADB; AMB-FUBINACA; Drug trends; Legislation; New Zealand; Synthetic cannabinoid.

MeSH terms

Cannabinoids*
Drug Trafficking / trends*
Humans
Illicit Drugs*
New Zealand
Synthetic Drugs*

Substances

Cannabinoids
Illicit Drugs
Synthetic Drugs