Cannabimimetic Agent

MaryW commented on the word Cannabimimetic Agent

<blockquote>

January 24, 2016

MaryW commented on the word Cannabimimetic Agent

In paragraph (1):
``(A) The term `cannabimimetic agents' means any substance
that is a cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1 receptor) agonist as
demonstrated by binding studies and functional assays within any
of the following structural classes:
``(i) 2-(3-hydroxycyclohexyl)phenol with
substitution at the 5-position of the phenolic ring by
alkyl or alkenyl, whether or not substituted on the
cyclohexyl ring to any extent.
``(ii) 3-(1-naphthoyl)indole or 3-(1-
naphthylmethane)indole by substitution at the nitrogen
atom of the indole ring, whether or not further
substituted on the indole ring to any extent, whether or
not substituted on the naphthoyl or naphthyl ring to any
extent.
``(iii) 3-(1-naphthoyl)pyrrole by substitution at
the nitrogen atom of the pyrrole ring, whether or not
further substituted in the pyrrole ring to any extent,
whether or not substituted on the naphthoyl ring to any
extent.
``(iv) 1-(1-naphthylmethylene)indene by substitution
of the 3-position of the indene ring, whether or not
further substituted in the indene ring to any extent,
whether or not substituted on the naphthyl ring to any
extent.
``(v) 3-phenylacetylindole or 3-benzoylindole by
substitution at the nitrogen atom of the indole ring,
whether or not further substituted in the indole ring to
any extent, whether or not substituted on the phenyl
ring to any extent.
``(B) Such term includes--
``(i) 5-(1,1-dimethylheptyl)-2-(1R,3S)-3-
hydroxycyclohexyl-phenol (CP-47,497);
``(ii) 5-(1,1-dimethyloctyl)-2-(1R,3S)-3-
hydroxycyclohexyl-phenol (cannabicyclohexanol or CP-
47,497 C8-homolog);
``(iii) 1-pentyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-018 and
AM678);
``(iv) 1-butyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-073);
``(v) 1-hexyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-019);
``(vi) 1-2-(4-morpholinyl)ethyl-3-(1-
naphthoyl)indole (JWH-200);
``(vii) 1-pentyl-3-(2-methoxyphenylacetyl)indole
(JWH-250);
``(viii) 1-pentyl-3-1-(4-methoxynaphthoyl)indole
(JWH-081);
``(ix) 1-pentyl-3-(4-methyl-1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-
122);
``(x) 1-pentyl-3-(4-chloro-1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-
398);
``(xi) 1-(5-fluoropentyl)-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole
(AM2201);
``(xii) 1-(5-fluoropentyl)-3-(2-iodobenzoyl)indole
(AM694);
``(xiii) 1-pentyl-3-(4-methoxy)-benzoylindole (SR-
19 and RCS-4);
``(xiv) 1-cyclohexylethyl-3-(2-
methoxyphenylacetyl)indole (SR-18 and RCS-8); and
``(xv) 1-pentyl-3-(2-chlorophenylacetyl)indole (JWH-
203).''.

Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 2012, § 1152, Public Law 112-144, 126 Stat. 993, 1130-31 (amending § 202(c) of the Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. §812(c)).

I came across this yesterday and was struck by the sesquipedalian (and orthographically challenging) term, as well as by the very technical definition. In layperson's terms, I think a cannabimimetic agent is a chemical that acts like the active chemical in marijuana but is created in a lab rather than in a marijuana plant. There's a good reason for the statute to be technical (no one should be prosecuted based on my sloppy layperson's understanding of chemistry), but this definition is impressive nonetheless.

January 24, 2016