Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Authors:Carissa Paz Dioquino, Roy Roberto Gerona Abstract: Drug Science, Policy and Law, Volume 8, Issue , January-December 2022. The drug policy in the Philippines is written as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 or Republic Act 9165. Unlike drug policies in other countries, the law includes policies on drug testing. Aside from mandatory drug testing for specific situations, the law states further that two testing methods should be employed—a screening test, and a confirmatory test to be performed if the former yields a presumptive positive result. Over 1000 drugs of abuse screening laboratories are scattered all over the Philippines, but only seven can perform confirmatory testing using either gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technologies. In the last 30 years, more sophisticated analytical technologies like liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and high-resolution mass spectrometry such as liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF/MS) have been developed not only to confirm what has been detected on screening tests, but also to determine the presence of new psychoactive substances that are not usually detected in drug screening. New matrices are also being utilized for the detection of drugs. The drug testing policy in the Philippines will have to keep up with the changing drug trends and drug testing innovations in the world to truly address the current administration's war on drugs. With the adoption of new drug testing methods using modern analytical platforms, the cut-offs used for drug testing interpretation should be updated. Citation: Drug Science, Policy and Law PubDate: 2022-05-17T04:52:32Z DOI: 10.1177/20503245221098161 Issue No:Vol. 8 (2022)
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Authors:Sam Gandy, Valérie Bonnelle, Edward Jacobs, David Luke Abstract: Drug Science, Policy and Law, Volume 8, Issue , January-December 2022. Creativity, that is the creation of ideas or objects considered both novel and valuable, is among the most important and highly valued of human traits, and a fundamental aspect of the sciences. Dreams and hypnagogic states have been highly influential in promoting scientific creativity and insight, contributing to some important scientific breakthroughs. Phenomenologically, the latter states of consciousness share a great deal of overlap with the psychedelic state, which has also been associated with facilitating scientific creativity on occasion. The current article proposes that the dream, hypnagogic and psychedelic states share common features that make them conducive to supporting some aspects of scientific creativity and examines the putative underlying neurophenomenological and cognitive processes involved. In addition, some notable occurrences of scientific insights that have emerged from these types of altered states are reviewed and shared common features are presented, providing a ground for future research. The psychedelic state may have its own characteristic features making it amenable to creativity enhancement, such as brain hyperconnectivity, meta-cognitive awareness, access to a more dependable and sustained altered state experience, and potential for eliciting sustained shifts in trait openness. The contextual factors which may contribute to enhancement of scientific creativity and insight will be evaluated. While research in this area is limited, further work to elucidate how psychedelics may best contribute to scientific creativity enhancement is warranted. Citation: Drug Science, Policy and Law PubDate: 2022-05-17T04:52:13Z DOI: 10.1177/20503245221097649 Issue No:Vol. 8 (2022)
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Authors:Pascoe MJ, Radley S, Simmons HTD, Measham F Abstract: Drug Science, Policy and Law, Volume 8, Issue , January-December 2022. Adulteration poses additional unknown risks to the health of people who use illicit drugs. In this study, we sought to determine the extent and nature of adulteration of ‘MDMA’ in circulation at English summer music festivals in 2021, following Brexit, COVID-19 lockdowns and various regulatory changes overseas. At three festivals in 2019 and 2021, 1648 surrendered substances were analysed with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and colourimetric reagents in a mobile laboratory as part of a harm reduction project. Form, mass, appearance and main psychoactive component were recorded. Analytical results were compared to a parallel self-report survey with 1124 attendees at the same events, as part of the annual English Festival Study. In 2019 and 2021, 417 and 377 samples strongly resembling MDMA (e.g. ecstasy tablets) were tested. Detection of MDMA in such samples decreased from 93% to 55% between the two years. Whilst virtually absent in 2019, synthetic cathinones and caffeine each constituted approximately one fifth of 2021 samples. 4-Chloromethcathinone (4-CMC), 3-methylmethcathinone (3-MMC) and N-ethylbutylone (eutylone) were the most prevalent cathinones detected. In both years,>35% of survey respondents reported use and/or intention to use MDMA on the fieldwork day; ≤1% reported cathinone or caffeine use, suggesting their consumption was predominantly unintentional. The sharp rise in synthetic cathinone prevalence in the summer 2021 UK market coincided with a unique combination of events including Brexit and the reopening of nightlife after 16 months of lockdowns, months ahead of other European nations. Echoing similar periods over the past decade, the cathinone hydra reared its head to satisfy the buoyant demand for MDMA at a time of scarcity, through substitution with substances legally obtainable in the Netherlands at the time of data collection. Alerts issued on social media led to>360,000 engagements, demonstrating extensive public engagement with illicit market monitoring and harm reduction advice. Citation: Drug Science, Policy and Law PubDate: 2022-05-04T05:27:56Z DOI: 10.1177/20503245221099209 Issue No:Vol. 8 (2022)
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Authors:Fabian Pitter Steinmetz, Maja Kohek Abstract: Drug Science, Policy and Law, Volume 8, Issue , January-December 2022. BackgroundThe supply chains addressing the global demand for major recreational drugs are hardly addressed due to international contracts, particularly the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. Currently applied regulatory changes have several disadvantages ranging from political tensions to the neglect of ecological aspects. The aim of this study is to show some implications associated with a transformation of the recreational drug market that is focused on self-supply of different categories of drugs. The concepts of "farmability", the feasibility to cultivate relevant plants and fungi, and "pharmability", the feasibility to refine materials to drugs by chemical synthesis, purification etc., are addressed.Methods68 drug experts were invited to fill out an online survey on the feasibility of self-supply of different categories of drugs. The online survey was a five-point Likert scale and had seven questions.Results26 experts (38.2%) responded to the online questionnaire. Cannabinoids were considered easy to cultivate/manufacture, depressants and psychedelics were ranked with moderate difficulty, opioids and stimulants were regarded as difficult to cultivate/manufacture, and empathogens/entactogens and dissociatives were ranked very difficult. The study found that some controlled substances, in particular cannabis, could be decriminalised without the need for a commercial market. However, some drug categories, such as dissociatives and empathogens/entactogens, would require the establishment of professional manufacturers. Psychedelics and depressants are ranked in between.ConclusionDifferent drugs are associated with different cultivation and/or manufacturing steps with contrasting difficulty levels. Those differences are likely to shape use prevalence to more accessible and safer drug markets which also decrease the involvement of organised crime groups. Hence, when decriminalising the possession of drugs for personal use, it is therefore recommended to allow also for personal cultivation or cultivation within social clubs. This is particularly relevant for drugs with moderate to high farmability but also if pharmability is sufficiently high. Citation: Drug Science, Policy and Law PubDate: 2022-05-04T05:27:37Z DOI: 10.1177/20503245221097797 Issue No:Vol. 8 (2022)
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Authors:Plinio M Ferreira, David Nutt Abstract: Drug Science, Policy and Law, Volume 8, Issue , January-December 2022. In 2015 and 2016, during the debates that culminated in The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, both houses of the UK parliament debated the pharmacology of nitric oxide and amyl nitrites, otherwise known as “poppers”. The original draft Psychoactive Substances Bill had recommended that poppers should be made illegal. However, after strong opposition inside the Conservative party, the ruling party at the time, the government found a way to not ban them by claiming they were not psychoactive. Nitrous oxide, another recreational gas, was also a possible target of the Psychoactive Substances Bill but this was never explicitly mentioned in the debates. Once the Psychoactive Substances Act came into force the Crown Prosecution Service stated that nitrous oxide was psychoactive and so illegal to sell for psychoactive purposes. Many sellers of nitrous oxide canisters were arrested and some sent to prison. A series of Crown court prosecutions for nitrous oxide possession followed in which the Crown claim that nitrous oxide was psychoactive was challenged. In some of these the defendant was acquitted so making its current legal status uncertain . Here we delve into the pharmacology of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide and how the effects of these two gasses are related. A clear understanding of the pharmacology of these gasses is essential for the scientific underpinning of legislation which will directly impact on the life of recreational users and people involved in the selling of these substances. Citation: Drug Science, Policy and Law PubDate: 2022-04-26T06:54:03Z DOI: 10.1177/20503245221085221 Issue No:Vol. 8 (2022)
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: Drug Science, Policy and Law, Volume 8, Issue , January-December 2022.
Citation: Drug Science, Policy and Law PubDate: 2022-04-11T02:04:24Z DOI: 10.1177/20503245221090014 Issue No:Vol. 8 (2022)
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Authors:Jeremy Roscoe, Olivia Lozy Abstract: Drug Science, Policy and Law, Volume 8, Issue , January-December 2022. This systematic review investigates whether clinical trials of psilocybin support criterion number three of the drug's schedule I designation: There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision. Data were collected by using the PubMed database and conducting a search on November 24, 2021, with the search term psilocybin and applying the clinical trial filter. Only primary reports on the sole administration of psilocybin by a medical professional were included for analysis, excluding trials wherein psilocybin was not administered, trials wherein psilocybin was exclusively co-administered with other drugs, articles that were not clinical trials, and articles that were repeat analyses of already included trials. 52 included publications were closely examined for reports of adverse events, drug tolerability, and drug safety. Zero of these articles reported psilocybin to be unsafe, while 27 of the included trials suggested that psilocybin is safe to administer under proper medical supervision. Citation: Drug Science, Policy and Law PubDate: 2022-03-16T08:33:20Z DOI: 10.1177/20503245221085222 Issue No:Vol. 8 (2022)
Subscription journal
[1174 journals]
