Assessment of the effects of CNR1, FAAH and MGLL gene variations on the synthetic cannabinoid use disorder

Abstract Objectives Given that drug addiction occurs as a result of complex gene-environment interaction, a number of studies claimed that cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1), fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), and monoacylglycerol lipase (MGLL) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with the risk of substance use disorders such as cannabis, opioids, and, methamphetamine. However, scientific research on genetic susceptibility to synthetic cannabinoid addiction is limited. In this population-based case-control study, we aimed to evaluate the genetic susceptibility to synthetic cannabinoid use disorder in terms of these three endocannabinoid system genes in the Turkish population. Methods 100 individuals diagnosed with synthetic cannabinoid use disorder according to Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 criteria and 100 healthy volunteers have recruited for the study. Genotyping of the CNR1 rs1049353, FAAH rs324420, and MGLL rs604300 SNPs was performed using Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction hybridization probes. Results The patient and control groups consist of 98 % male, 2 % female, 80 % male, and 20 % female individuals, respectively. The genotype distributions were consistent with Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium for all SNPs (p>0.05). FAAH rs324420 and MGLL 604300 SNPs were genotyped for the first time in the Turkish population, and the variant allele frequencies were found as 0.205 and 0.085, respectively. Allele frequencies and genotype distributions CNR1 rs1049353, FAAH rs324420, and MGLL rs604300 SNPs were similar between the patient and control group (p>0.05). Conclusions These results indicate that CNR1, FAAH, and MGLL gene polymorphisms do not influence the risk of synthetic cannabinoid use disorder in the Turkish population.