NMR Spectroscopic Reference Data of Synthetic Cannabinoids Sold on the Internet

Abstract

Besides classic illegal drugs, numerous designer drugs, also called new psychoactive substances (NPSs), are available on the global drug market. One of the biggest and fastest-growing substance classes comprises the synthetic cannabinoids. According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), 254 out of 950 monitored substances belong to this group of NPS, with 9 new cannabinoids registered for the first time in 2023. For their purchase, it is not necessary to use the dark web. Due to the structural differences compared to the illegal Δ⁹-THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the legal status changes and the synthetic cannabinoids are available via clear web pages. They come as powders or dissolved and sprayed onto non-psychoactive layers such as cannabidiol hemp, industrial hemp or also on other plant material like herbal tea mixtures or dried flowers. These adulterated plant parts can be smoked as a substitute to the psychoactive and in many countries illegal Δ⁹-THC-containing hemp. The main task of this project was to check the identity of online available synthetic cannabinoid samples and to generate experimental data using a combination of gas and liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection and NMR-based structure elucidation. In total, 25 substances in solid state were bought from various online shops. They turned out to be 21 synthetic cannabinoids after analysis, including 13 with no or incomplete experimental NMR data available in the literature and one, CH-PIATA, which has not been mentioned in literature yet. More than 50% of the acquired substances were falsely declared.