Hepatotoxicity associated to synthetic cannabinoids use

R. Solimini, F.P. Busardò, M.C. Rotolo, S. Ricci, L. Mastrobattista, C. Mortali, S. Graziano, M. Pellegrini, N.M. di Luca, I. Palmi

Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicines Evaluation, Drug Abuse and Doping Unit, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. ilaria.palmi@iss.it

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• Gastroenterology
• Toxicology

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are psychotropic compounds, chemically created in laboratory to mimic cannabinergic brain activity of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. The consumption of these compounds for recreational purposes can lead to a variety of adverse effects on health including overdose and deaths. Increasingly popular as substances of abuse since the 2000s, SCs were produced initially to bind and study cannabinoid receptors (they also can be called synthetic cannabimimetics) failing in eliminating the psychoactive effects. Currently, SCs are misused by students and young adults as “natural products” because of their herbal aspect. Actually, these apparently innocuous recreational substances hide toxic effects to health. Reported side effects are cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurological, renal, metabolic, ophthalmologic, pulmonary and psychoactive including dependence and withdrawal. A few cases of SCs ingestion have also been associated with liver failure. We herein review the recent literature on the SCs toxicity with particular attention to liver damage aspects.

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