Synthetic Cannabinoids: A Summary of Selected Phenomena With Respect to Behavioral Pharmacology and Abuse Liability

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCBs) are a large family of molecules that are functionally similar to Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol, the principal psychoactive constituent found in cannabis. Each new SCB evolves with successive structural modifications while retaining cannabis-like psychoactive effects. As a result, new generations of SCBs have become an established part of the worldwide recreational drug landscape. The existing body of literature on the topic of SCBs as drugs of abuse is growing at an exponential rate, and a comprehensive review of all the literature would be beyond the scope of this chapter. Therefore, what follows is a summary of selected phenomena that have emerged in the cannabinoid literature with respect to the behavioral pharmacology, and abuse liability of SCBs. These phenomena include: (1) cannabinoid receptor subtype 1 (CB₁) receptor-mediated characteristic tetrad effects (suppressed locomotion, antinociception, hypothermia, and catalepsy) in laboratory animals; (2) discriminative stimulus effects of SCBs relative to Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol; and (3) tolerance and cross-tolerance to the effects of SCBs.