“DESIGNER” DRUGS AND HERBALS

- GETTING HIGH, SICK, DISABLED, AND DEAD ON

SYNTHETIC DRUGS & PLANTS ©

JUDGE KEVIN R. MADISONPRESIDING JUDGE LAKEWAY MUNICIPAL COURT

EMT-INTERMEDIATE (ADVANCED LIFESAVING SKILLS)

STATE CERTIFIED FIREFIGHTER-FIRST RESPONDER© COPYRIGHT JUDGE KEVIN R. MADISON

Educational Objectives At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Understand why courts and court personnel should have a working knowledge of emerging drugs that impact cases tried by the court (PI,DOC, DUI, etc.), cases that judges review for issuance of arrest and search warrants, and in dealing with people who may be under the influence in court, which impacts courtroom security.

2. Understand the basic physiology of how these drugs affect behavior.

3. Identify some of the new designer drugs that are emerging throughout the U.S.

4. Describe some of the effects and signs of use of these designer drugs.

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Points about this presentation1. I am not an expert on this topic - I am not a Chemist or Biologist.

2. A class on Designer Drugs could easily last a week.

3. We have an very limited time so we will touch on a few of the most common designer drugs. There are hundreds out there.

4. In light of our limited time, I will be happy to entertain any questions at the end of this presentation.

5. I encourage you to get on the Internet: Google, Medscape, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and You Tube and explore this topic in greater detail on your own.

6. We should strive to know as much about Designer Drugs as the kids in our community know.

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NHTSA 2005-2009 StudyNational Highway Traffics Safety Administration

Press Release # 16-10 Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Alcohol-related

incidents

Drug-related

incidents

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What are “Designer Drugs?”

• “Designer drugs” are chemicals that have been specifically made or “designed” by underground chemists so that they:

(1) are not covered by controlled substance statutes (and hence are not illegal), and

(2) still have the same “psychotropic affect” (cause stimulation, sedation, or hallucination, etc.) of the illegal popular drugs that people use.

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What are “Designer Drugs?”

Designer Drugs are drugs that are chemically created with different molecular structures than the original drugs that they imitate.

Example: synthetic marihuana called “Spice” or “K-2” is a chemical that mimics the chemical structure of THC in marihuana and its effects.

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How Psychoactive Substances Work

• Because of their chemical structure, alcohol and drugs have dramatic effects on receptor cells and neurotransmitters in Central Nervous System.

• Effects on:

– Mental processes

– Behavior

– Perception

– AlertnessSOURCE: NIDA. (2010). Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction.

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Our body and brain operate by maintaining, increasing, or decreasing chemicals and hormones that affect

neuro-receptors and neuro-transmitters

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For those who want to alter Sensation, Behavior, and Bodily Functions it’s all about ingesting drugs that affect neuro-receptors & neuro-transmitters.

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“Psychoactive/Psychotropic” Drugs

These drugs affect the brain, brain chemicals, and brain receptors.

These drugs are “mind altering” and affect a person’s mind and body because they are able to cross the blood-brain barrier, which many drugs cannot cross.

Alcohol, Marihuana, Cocaine, Heroin, Amphetamines are all examples of drugs that can cross the blood-brain barrier. 10

4 Years of Meth Use

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Years of Heroin Use

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Problem with Designer Drugs

Although the chemical structure may be barely changed, the problem is that the properties of these drugs can dramatically change!

Super-enhanced properties of the drugs they copied: hyperactivity

hallucinationsparanoiasuperhuman strength ...

And then some bad properties of their own.13

Problem with Designer Drugs

Because their molecular structure is different these drugs are usually not illegal; however, legal does not mean safe!

New molecular structure creates whole new effects on mind and body- many of them bad:

increased heart rateheart attacksstrokes (brain attack)permanent brain injuriesorgan damage and shut-down 14

Close but drastically different!

Making one small change to a molecular structure of a compound can lead to drastic changes in the properties of that substance.

For example: H20 is water, of course.If you add another Oxygen atom: H202

The water becomes Hydrogen Peroxide, not poison but toxic and corrosive to human tissue...causes burns. Used for rocket fuel and making bombs.

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Some Designer Drugs

Bath Salts

Spice/K2

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Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

• Designer drugs do not have FDA approval and are produced by underground chemists who do not care about quality control of the product.

• Designer drugs are not correctly synthesized and purified.

• Designer drugs contain numerous toxic impurities not separated from the desired active ingredient after the synthesis was completed.

• Toxic impurities are ingested by user, can create serious problems, esp. for IV users.

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Where do Designer Drugs come from?

• Chemical Research

• Published articles by Pharmaceutical Companies and Chemists

• Independent Chemists who love drugs

• “Basement Chemists”

• Made/imported from China and India then “assembled” and marketed in U.S.

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Underground Chemists

• Underground chemists first determine which drugs are listed in the jurisdiction’s controlled substance statute.

• Then these chemists make changes to the molecular structure of these drugs creating a slightly altered compound.

• May have very bad effects!• Legal Safe!!!!

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Common Characteristics of Designer Drugs

• Synthetic

• Marketed as something else – Bath Salts, Incense, Glass

Cleaner, Plant Food, Room Spray

• Attractive packaging

• Very small quantity (250mg-3gm) to obtain “high” thus many people overdose!

• Disclaimers

“Not for human

consumption” 20

Spice sold as Incense

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www.24hoursmokeshoplasvegas.com

Las Vegas Smoke Shop is the home of some of the world’s highest quality and best selling brands of Spice and Potpourri blends. Our spice and potpourri products are made with quality ingredients. These products are extremely potent and have the soothing aroma that you seek. All of our brands have the strength, quality, and consistency of the world’s best. All of our blends are lab certified not to contain any DEA banned synthetics.

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Bath Salts a/k/a “K3”

“Bath salts” is an informal name for a family of designer drugs, that have similar effects of amphetamines and cocaine. Labeled as “bath salts” to avoid being labeled as a drug for human consumption.

“Bath salts” contained Cathinone (extracted from the Khat plant).

After Catrhinone became illegal, the dealers created synthetic Cathinone- known as MDPV.

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Cathinone aka “Kat”

Cathinone is extracted from the Khat plant.

Khat is a flowering plant native to Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa – the same place where you can find Somali Pirates!

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Cathinone Bath Salts

• Stimulant, similar to ecstasy, cocaine and methamphetamine

• Derived from Cathinone from Khat plant

• “Not for human consumption”

• White, odorless, “pills”, fine-grained powder or crystals (oxidizes to yellow or tan)

• Can be ingested by snorting, smoking, swallowing, and intravenous access.

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Cathinone is Illegal in U.S.

Cathinone became outlawed and is a Schedule I drug under Federal Controlled Substances Act, so, chemists began to manufacture synthetic Cathinone, called “MDPV.”

MDPV- Methylene-dioxy-pyrov-alerone

Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is a psychoactive drug with stimulant properties which produces a feeling of euphoria and well-being (dopamine) and energy (adrenaline). 27

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MDPV Bath Salts

Chemically created compound MDPV to be like Cathinone – which is illegal -Schedule 1 Controlled Substance

Dose: 25mg – 500mg (micrograms-very small dose)

Central Nervous System stimulant (up to 3 days)Delusional Behavior

Seizures

Restless / Irritated

Inflammation of Heart tissue and muscle

Grinding of teeth.28

Most Bath Salts (MDPV) and Spice now banned In U.S

Schumer Law Passes

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer D-NY.

In July 2012 bath salts containing MDPV and some 29 other synthetic drugs -most of the synthetic marijuana (“Spice”) and their clones- became illegal when MDPV and mephedrone were added to Schedule I of the Federal Controlled Substances Act, which classifies drugs that are illegal and cannot be prescribed under any circumstances

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1 Dose Bath Salts…

DAY 1 Banging head into wall Pulled out IV twice Hallucinating, thought security

guard drank his beer

• Pulse: 112 bpm• Blood Pressure: 144/94• Muscle Tone: Rigid

DAY 2• Combative• 12 people to control• Lorazepam x 3, Haloperidol x1

to control• Moved to ICU• Combative again when awake

DAY 3• Resting pulse 120• Exhausted, no memory

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Dangers of Bath Salts

• Abuse of recreational drugs sold as "bath salts" has sent an increasing number of people to hospitals in the United States and has resulted in deaths.

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Effects of Bath Salts

DESIRED

• Euphoria

• Empathy/decreased hostility

• Hallucinations

• Increased insight/self-discovery

• Increased energy

• Enhanced music appreciation

WHAT REALLY HAPPENS

• Restless/Irritated/High BP

• Delusional / paranoia

• Nose bleeds, headache

• Dilated pupils, blurred vision

• Blue/cold extremities

• Nausea/vomiting

• Seizures, teeth grinding

• Chest pain (inflamed heart)

• Excessive sweating/panic

• Trip to Hospital or

County Morgue32

Synthetic Marijuana

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Spice/K-2

Synthetic Marihuana

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What is SPICE / K2 ?Dangerous, synthetic research chemicals that have been dissolved in acetone and sprayed onto dried plant material (herbs)

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SPICE/K2

• Plant material

• Marketed as incense

• Laced with various synthetic compounds that behave like THC

• Smoked or mixed in drink or food

• Was legal, now illegal since July 2012

• 1g -3g packages about 2x price of marihuana-much more intense high

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SPICE/K2

Experts point out that due to the variation in chemical additives used in Spice, K2, and other synthetics, users don’t know exactly what they’re getting in each packet and the effects can therefore be unpredictable.

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SPICE/K2

When tested, Spice has been found to contain a number of artificial chemical compounds, primarily those known as JWH-018, JWH-073 and HU-210. None of these chemicals are safe for human consumption, hence the warnings (meant to be ignored) on the packages.

Technically a chemical fertilizer, JWH-18 can cause the negative effects of marijuana at much lower dosages, and JWH-073 is listed by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a chemical concern.

Perhaps most worrisome: HU-210 has been found to be between 100 to 800 times more potent than THC, the main active chemical in marijuana.”

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Is Spice Addictive? Yes, very!

According to Sovereign Health, one of the most prominent Spice addiction treatment centers across the country, counselors are seeing what some call an “epidemic” of Spice addiction, primarily among teens and young adults or long-term pot smokers. Spice causes intense cravings, and users must take more and more of it to get high, causing chemical dependency."Spice and K2 vs. Bath Salts: The Other Designer Drug Scare”

Contributor Melanie Haiken, Forbes Magazine

June 13, 2012

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Brands/Flavors

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Symptoms of SpiceNot always a bad trip, but if you’re involved it probably is

•Elevated BP (140-210 /100)

•Rapid heart rate (110-150bpm) – can be decreased BP / heart rate

•Tremors / Seizures / Strokes / Death

•Unconsciousness

•Hallucinations / Delusions / Paranoia

•Numbness / Tingling / Muscle Loss.41

Emily Bauer – victim of Spice! Cypress, Texas

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Treatment?• No antidote

• Symptoms more like Stimulants and Dissociative Anesthetic than Marihuana

• Not detectable on standard screen

• Flush with Fluids (but not too much)

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SPICE/K2 now illegal

Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 (federal law).

The legislation bans synthetic compounds commonly found in synthetic marijuana ("K2" or "Spice"), synthetic stimulants ("bath salts"]), and hallucinogens, by placing them under Schedule I of the Federal Controlled Substances Act.

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Designer Drugs and Plants & Herbs

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT...

... as synthetic (“designer”) drugs become illegal, there is a large increase in the search and demand for organic/natural plants and herbs that are not illegal and that can create same desired effects- getting high or buzzed, hallucinating, decreasing sexual inhibitions, etc.

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Kratom (“Krat-om”)Asian plant leaf ‘Kratom' making

presence felt in US emergency rooms (NBC News March 19, 2012)

Opiate-like leaf from Southeast Asia is well known in the worlds of alternative medicine and the drug culture.

Used in S.E. Asia for hundreds of years.

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KratomAsian leaf ‘Kratom' making presence

felt in US emergency rooms

But in addition to its possible medicinal uses,Kratom is beginning to show up in U.S.emergency rooms, with doctors saying theyare dealing with people sick from taking it,especially teens who try it to get high.(NBC News March 19, 2012)

Kratom is legal in most states – no federalban. Is on federal watch list. 47

KratomAsian leaf 'kratom' making presence

felt in US emergency rooms (NBC News March 19, 2012)

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Kratom Sold Herein Austin and in your city!

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Kratom- Available now at your local “Head Shop” or “Smoke Shop”

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Very New Designer Drug

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Law Enforcement Drug Bulletin“Gravel”

GULF COAST HIDTA INVESTIGATIVE SUPPORT NETWORK

Intelligence Bulletin

“GRAVEL”

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Gravel

GRAVEL

A highly addictive synthetic stimulant is an emerging drugof abuse similar to the cathinone known as bath salts.While the primary component of GRAVEL is alpha-pyrrol-idino-pentiophenone (alpha-PVP), it is often used incombination with other drugs.

When Law Enforcement officers seized and tested Gravel,it was found to contain methamphetamine, Klonopin andbath salts. Klonopin (clonazepam) is used to controlseizures in epilepsy and for the treatment of panic disorder.Includes side effects, interactions and indications. 53

Gravel

Looks like small rocks or “gravel”

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Gravel

• An inmate at the Sullivan County Jail told the broadcaster that people ingest the “gravel drug” by snorting it, injecting it, or smoking it.

• “Gravel is the new crack,” he said, noting that he found it to be superior to other drugs.

• The drug makes people paranoid, the inmate said.

• Emergency room physician Dr. Jon Mettert has stated to the news media that the drug damages the brain, raises blood pressure, and spikes the heart rate.

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Gravel

• An inmate at the Sullivan County, TN Jail told the reporter that people ingest the “gravel drug” by snorting it, injecting it, or smoking it.

• “Gravel is the new crack,” he said, noting that he found it to be superior to other drugs.

• The drug makes people paranoid, the inmate said.

• Emergency room physician Dr. Jon Mettert has stated to the news media that the drug damages the brain, raises blood pressure, and spikes the heart rate.

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Gravel

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Law enforcement officials report that mail delivery systems are used for the transportation and distribution of alpha-PVP in bulk quantities.

Police in Kingsport, Tennessee have seized alpha-PVP labeled as “plant fertilizer” with no other markings. Sources indicate that local dealers in the state of Tennessee are diluting the alpha-PVP with ammonia and other drugs to produce the rock-like substance sold as GRAVEL on the street

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Gravel

GRAVEL is found in a form similar to small rocks or pieces of salt and can be injected or smoked.

Short-term effects of GRAVEL abuse are increased blood pressure, elevated heart rate, violence, paranoia, hallucinations and brain damage.

GRAVEL is relatively new and therefore long term effects have not been documented.

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Gravel

Physicians have reported a serious deterioration in physical appearance after consistent abuse of the drug. The injection of GRAVEL can result in the deterioration of the tissue in and around the injection site leaving gaping holes in the body tissue that can be inches deep.

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Warning – Graphic Imagery!

Next Slide Contain a Graphic PhotographOf Severe Injuries Suffered by Gravel IV Users

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Effects of Gravel Being Injected

Caustic and Non-Sterile Substances should never be injected

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Very Nasty Designer DrugUsed in Russia for Past 10 Years

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Krokodil

The average user of krokodil, a dirty cousin of morphine that is spreading like a virus among Russian youth, does not live longer than two or three years, and the few who manage to quit usually come away disfigured.

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Krokodil

Krokodil has roughly the same effect as heroin but is at least three times cheaper and extremely easy to make. The active component is codeine, a widely sold over-the-counter painkiller that is not toxic on its own. But to produce krokodil, whose medical name is desomorphine, addicts mix it with ingredients including gasoline, paint thinner, hydrochloric acid, iodine and red phosphorous

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Warning – Graphic Imagery!

Next 2 Slides Contain Graphic PhotographsOf Severe Injuries Suffered by Krokodil Drug Abusers

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Krokodil Users Suffer Necrosis

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Krokodil kills human tissue

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Conclusions

Legal Safe!!!

Many items are legal, but dangerous.e.g. gasoline, rat poison, bleach, drain cleaner, spray paint, glue, arsenic

There will be hundreds and hundreds of new synthetic drugs...because they are always morphing and changing to stay ahead of the law

Most synthetic drugs are more dangerous than the original drugs they copy/mimic

Expect the unexpected when dealing with people under the influence of synthetics.

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