Editorial: Toxicological profiles and pharmacological properties of synthetic cannabinoids: From chemical and analytical issues to fatal and non-fatal intoxications

Since the discovery of the cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system (CNS), that mediate the psychotropic effect of cannabis, a multitude of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) has been developed to explore and probe the endocannabinoid system and to gather information on their potential therapeutic use. Prompted by the possibility of treating cancer pain and inflammatory diseases with cannabis, cannabinoid receptor ligands and in particular agonists started being synthetized as potential drug candidates. While in most cases not progressing to clinical trials, SCRAs have become a rapidly growing class of drugs of abuse, within the wider context of the new psychoactive substances (NPS) phenomenon. The first detection of SCRAs in herbal blends and “Spice” products dates back to 2008 (1) and, since then, they came into the focus of attention in the general public and particularly in the forensic science community. Although the number of new compounds per year monitored by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) slightly decreased since 2014-2015 (2), SCRAs still represent a serious public health and social issue.