Emerging Psychedelics: A Systematic Review of Synthetic Cannabinoids

Objective: In recent years, the advent of synthetic cannabinoids, deceptive advertising and cyber sales has led young people to use them. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has identified the prevalence of using these compounds as a major public health challenge. The aim of the present study was to systematically review synthetic cannabinoids. Method: This study was a descriptive-library of systematic review type conducted between 1980 and 2019 using all articles published in electronic databases, including Cochrane Database Systematic, Google Scholar, Embase, Medline, Scopus, Reviews, Proquest as well as internal resources such as Iranmedex, Irandoc, and SID. Results: The results showed that synthetic cannabinoids have similar and stronger effects than THC in cannabis products and a small number of them have been used in medicine. Synthetic cannabinoids are more addictive and harmful than cannabis products, and there have been numerous reports of death by overusing synthetic cannabinoids in users. Developed countries such as the United States, European Union member countries, Japan, China, Russia, Turkey, etc. have outlawed or controlled synthetic cannabinoids and their products in their domestic laws. Conclusion: Synthetic cannabinoids and their products are addictive and a threat to public health and safety. The legal vacuum in the country and their ban in different countries, industrial production and their cheap sale in cyberspace can increase the possibility of replacing synthetic cannabinoids with cannabis products. Therefore, there is an urgent need to study and establish laws to combat synthetic cannabinoids in the country.