i'm shocked at some of the posts in here, i don't want to resort to name calling but what the fuck? how do you not know what 4-FA is seriously???
I didn't know what 4-FA was, until I started reading on it yesterday/today.
I could draw a hypothesis on what I thought it was, from previous experience and education.
-I knew it was some type of stimulant based upon the full chemical name (4-fluoro
amphetamine)
-I was quite sure it was under the group of drugs called "research chemicals"
it's a fucking amphetamine, it's a stimulant, yeah it's an 'RC'
looks like I get my gold star today. thank goodness, because I would hate to be subject to any 'name calling' because I'm not as 'educated' as you on a bunch of obscure research chemicals.
^he likely means the vendor had lab analysis done on the batch, tho that doesn't prove anything
lab analysis by vendors proves nothing. check.
most vendors will happily hand you out the NMR analysis (in form of a picture), which is like looking at a graph. There's still the chance the vendor didn't actually test them.
According to you, what does it matter if the vendor tests them, anyways? As you stated above, lab analysis by vendors proves nothing.
If the vendor does provide one with a pretty picture/graph, who checks these 'facts'? How do we know we're not looking at a graph they pulled off their google machine from the analysis of some random, possibly semi-similar drug, and copied it out and slapped it on the package to make it look legit? YOU DON'T KNOW. PERIOD.
Why? BECAUSE THERE IS NOBODY TO REGULATE OR CHECK THESE DRUGS.
***I want to point out here that I give props to honest vendors who take pride in their work, and make a serious effort to uphold their integrities and actually analyze the drugs they are making/selling, and the 'negative' parts of this argument are not directed towards them.
However, as everyone knows, the bad apple(s) spoils the bunch. Shitty? Yup. Unfair? Yup.
Same with all the people who didn't research these drugs before trying them. In my opinion, they are mostly the ones who have ruined it for the rest of us, the 'responsible' users who take the time to check how much they should take in a dosage, recognize the possible dangers, and proceed with caution. Instead, they see a substance that looks like cocaine (like, bath salts, for -a loose example- instance) and they lay out a giant rail, because, well - that's what they'd have done if they had cocaine. They rock out this massive rail and then wonder why they end up in the hospital with a heart rate that could shoot a rocket into space and say "I don't know what happened!!!??!?!" No shit, Sherlock. Investigate first. Which, in turn, results in sensationalism and assumptions from the media, because they have to tell us something that's going on in the world (anything but what is REALLY going on and what really matters...please excuse my opinion here) and it gets blown out of porportion and made illegal, thus screwing over actual researchers and scientists, and ultimately, the 'responsible' users and vendors who have taken the time to make and use things correctly.
I'd also like to say that I have nothing against research chemicals. I've personally tried a few, some were kinda okay, and one - I had one of the worst experiences of my entire life, and I shudder every time I think about it. Do I blame anyone? Vendors? My friends? Absolutely not. I am an adult, and I can choose what I want to put in my body, and I made the choice to take the risk and try something. Did the next guy who took the same thing have a bloody grand time? Sure. Maybe. I don't know. I'd certainly never recommend it to anyone, though.
The only thing that matters to me here, is factual evidence. I dig that you're about promoting RC's, and that's great. However, it's unfair and incorrect to be passing off opinions or personal experiences as solid facts, and to be dissing the moderator, who in my opinion, said exactly what he should have. His job here is to promote harm reduction, and that's exactly what he did.***
it's quite probable most of the 4-FA out there is relatively pure.
"quite probable"
and
"relatively pure"
I don't have to say anything, except for point out how INCREDIBLY AND UNBELIEVABLY VAGUE those two phrases are. My point proven.
What do you mean just imagine how dangerous these drugs are?
Just imagine how dangerous these drugs are?!?!? Okay...can do.
1. There is no regulation on these RC companies. None.
2. Non-regulation (can and does) result in dishonest practices, lack of analysis, lack of honest analysis, and thus
providing a product that may or may not be anything like the one the consumer thinks they're getting.
3. On a personal note/observation, having been digging around on the internet myself for the past two days, I looked at many (22) different vendor websites. On all but 2 of them, there were spelling and gramatical errors. Not just one error, but multiple errors. Now, I realize that to you or many others, this may be considered an invalid or unrelated argument that has absolutely nothing to do with research chemicals and their effects on the human body. You're right, it doesn't have anything to do with RC's or their effects. What it does have to do with, is the
reputability of the company. Here is a couple direct quotes from the first research chemical company website I found:
Make attantion that we accept Bank Wire only for bulk orders that cost more then 1000USD. We can not receive the Bank Wire from any Offshore Company. Bank of China will blok them. This is long lasting transfer way up to 7 days.
I don't even
understand the last sentence.
This one is my personal favorite...
In this section you can find intermediates substance that can help you get compound that you are interested in, in one stage. You will need only basic knowledge of chemistry to make everything yourself. All is not difficult to prepare than soup.
Zoinks, Scoob! I can make soup! That means...I can make drugs!!! Rut-roh...
I don't know about you, but I don't think I'll be purchasing any drugs from a company who can't take the time to look up how to spell the word ATTENTION correctly before posting it on their worldwide business website, or a company who obviously didn't take the extra five minutes to spell check their pages, or neglected to hire an editor, or didn't pass 4th grade...
Yes, I understand that these companies are in different countries, like China, and it's not likely or obvious that English is their first language.
Yes, I understand that is it probably not the chemists or scientists themselves that write or put together these websites, and it doesn't directly relate to their abilities to provide or produce a spectacular research chemical.
Yes, I understand that it's possible/very likely that the people who manufactured my drug of choice (methamphetamine) probably don't speak any English at all. Luckily, I speak Spanish.
Anyways, the spelling and gramatical errors are just a sidenote/observation. I will say though, it certainly doesn't make that company look good - at all.
Also, call me crazy, but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find any spelling errors on, let's say...the FDA's website.
we don't know whether 4-FA is dangerous compared to FDA approved drugs[...]for all you know, it could cure cancer and aids. Not like FDA drugs are safe anyway, fuck. Seriously disappointing to see a post like this from a moderator.
people use the NBOMes all the fucking time and no one reacts this way to people using them. 4-FA has a much better track record than any NBOMe. We all know it hasn't been researched well, but we certainly know a lot about methamphetamine, amphetamine and dextroamphetamine and all the other amphetamines and stimulants out there... the rest of the posts are stupid/irrelevant/ignorant and shocking coming from a community that has fully embraced the whole RC market without crying about 'the unknown dangers' of 'research chemicals' that no one is actually doing any research on. And spice seriously? is this thread from 10 years ago?
Actually, I think we do know weather 4-FA is dangerous compared to FDA approved drugs.
I'd also place a pretty safe bet on the fact that 4-FA is not going to be the drug that cures cancer and/or AIDS.
Why?
Well, I'm browsing through pages and pages of studies conducted on 4-FA and multiple other research chemicals dating back to 1975.
That's almost
40 years of available research on 4-FA and many of it's halogenated friends - and you said "no one is actually doing any research on them." Huh.
"...not like FDA drugs are safe anyway..."
Okay, I can agree that I don't think that the FDA is the 'gold star' on drugs, or making damn sure they're completely safe and harmless. I do know that drugs that are passed through the FDA go through a fairly rigorous amount of tests...
from fda.gov
Drug Review Steps Simplified
1. Preclinical (animal) testing.
2. An investigational new drug application (IND) outlines what the sponsor of a new drug proposes for human testing in clinical trials.
3. Phase 1 studies (typically involve 20 to 80 people).
4. Phase 2 studies (typically involve a few dozen to about 300 people).
5. Phase 3 studies (typically involve several hundred to about 3,000 people).
6. The pre-NDA period, just before a new drug application (NDA) is submitted. A common time for the FDA and drug sponsors to meet.
7. Submission of an NDA is the formal step asking the FDA to consider a drug for marketing approval.
8. After an NDA is received, the FDA has 60 days to decide whether to file it so it can be reviewed.
9. If the FDA files the NDA, an FDA review team is assigned to evaluate the sponsor's research on the drug's safety and effectiveness.
10. The FDA reviews information that goes on a drug's professional labeling (information on how to use the drug).
11. The FDA inspects the facilities where the drug will be manufactured as part of the approval process.
12. FDA reviewers will approve the application or issue a complete response letter.
Reviewing Applications
Though FDA reviewers are involved with a drug's development throughout the IND stage, the official review time is the length of time it takes to review a new drug application and issue an action letter, an official statement informing a drug sponsor of the agency's decision.
Once a new drug application is filed, an FDA review team--medical doctors, chemists, statisticians, microbiologists, pharmacologists, and other experts--evaluates whether the studies the sponsor submitted show that the drug is safe and effective for its proposed use.
No drug is absolutely safe; all drugs have side effects. "Safe" in this sense means that the benefits of the drug appear to outweigh the known risks.
The review team analyzes study results and looks for possible issues with the application, such as weaknesses of the study design or analyses. Reviewers determine whether they agree with the sponsor's results and conclusions, or whether they need any additional information to make a decision.
Each reviewer prepares a written evaluation containing conclusions and recommendations about the application. These evaluations are then considered by team leaders, division directors, and office directors, depending on the type of application.
Reviewers receive training that fosters consistency in drug reviews, and good review practices remain a high priority for the agency.
-fda.gov
Now, I was thinking about googling
"What are the legal steps one must take to sell research chemicals?" and I actually did.
I didn't find much; and then it occoured to me - I probably wasn't going to be able to find these steps listed anywhere, since asking that question is the same as asking,
"What steps must one take for the crack dealer down the street to sell crack?"
I don't know - count how many steps he takes to walk out the door to the corner...?
In a study I found in a medical journal from England, the purpose or objectives of the tests were:
-To analyse the chemical composition of substances bought over the internet, including the legality of the active ingredients and if products differ between retailers.
-To consider the medical implications and adverse health risks associated with legal highs bought over the internet.
They studied 22 different products from 5 different retailers. Here's the chart of their results:
Table 1:
Summary of the 22 legal highs purchased via the internet, including the compounds detected, the accuracy of their description and their legal status
Product Compounds detected As described Status
Supplier A
-Benzofury- 1-Benzofuran-6-ylpropan-2-amine (6-APB) Yes Legal
-Jolly Green Granules - Benzocaine/Did not specify contents Legal
-MDAI- 5,6-Methylenedioxy-2-aminoindane Yes Legal
-Methoxetamine- 2-(3-Methoxyphenyl)-2-(ethylamino)cyclohexanone Yes Legal*
-MPA- N-methyl-1-(thiophen-2-yl)propan-2-amine Yes Legal
-NRG-2- 4-Methylethcathinone (4-MEC). Contaminant mephedrone No Illegal
-NRG-3- 1-Benzofuran-6-ylpropan-2-amine (6-APB) No Legal
-5-IAI- 5-Iodo-2-aminoindane Yes Legal
Supplier B
-Benzofury- 1-Benzofuran-6-ylpropan-2-amine (6-APB) Yes Legal
-MDAI- Benzocaine No Legal
-5-IAI- 5-Iodo-2-aminoindane Yes Legal
Supplier C
-Benzofury- 1-Benzofuran-6-ylpropan-2-amine Yes Legal
-Methoxetamine- 2-(3-Methoxyphenyl)-2-(ethylamino)cyclohexanone Yes Legal*
Supplier D
-Jolly Green Granules- Benzocaine/Did not specify contents Legal
-MDAI Gold- 5,6-Methylenedioxy-2-aminoindane Yes Legal
-MPA- N-methyl-1-(thiophen-2-yl) propan-2-amine Yes Legal
-NRG-2- 4-Methylethcathinone (4-MEC). Contaminant mephedrone No Illegal
-NRG-3- 1-Benzofuran-6-ylpropan-2-amine (6-APB) No Legal
-5-IAI- 5-Iodo-2-aminoindane Yes Legal
Supplier E
-Benzofury- 1-Benzofuran-6-ylpropan-2-amine (6-APB) Yes Legal
-MDAI Gold- 5,6-Methylenedioxy-2-aminoindane Yes Legal
-Methoxetamine- 2-(3-Methoxyphenyl)-2-(ethylamino)cyclohexanone Yes Legal*
** Legal—methoxetamine was legal when this research was initially conducted; however, it has since (March 2012) been classified as a temporary class drug making its supply illegal. **
here's the link to that graph, since it's not very appealing to the eye here:
http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/4/e000977/T1.expansion.html
The majority of products purchased -91%- provided information pertaining to the active ingredients present in each substance (either on the website or packaging, or both), although products purchased from three of the suppliers (A, B and D) did not adhere to the advertised ingredients. Out of the 22 products supplied and analysed, 9% did not list the active ingredients (Jolly Green Granules) and 23% did not contain the active ingredients listed on the website or package.
Variation between retailers
The chemical composition of the products purchased from supplier A and supplier D were identical, as was the packaging, indicating that either two websites are fronting the same company or that both companies purchase goods from the same source. Specifically, the NRG-2 products tested from suppliers A and D and the relative concentration of each chemical suggested that they originated from the same source. If both suppliers A and D obtained NRG-2 from the same source, this suggests that, given the large quantities available to purchase (up to 1 kg), the scale of production or importation of these substances is alarming.
Suppliers varied on the information they provided in terms of contents, instructions on use and whether the drug was labelled ‘not fit for human consumption’. Of the 22 products purchased, 68% contained the warning ‘not fit for human consumption’ on the internet site but all contained this warning on the packaging. Although 23% had information on how to use the product, this was of little use if the user intended to ingest it, as it related to feeding plants or conducting research (see table 1). The information provided included ‘doses of 0.05 g will give your plants incredible growth … to be dissolved in water’ and ‘very small doses of this research chemical are required for legitimate research, it is essential that your lab has access to scales that can weigh in increments of ten milligrams (0.01 g)’.
The majority of websites and drug packets contained no safety information -77%- explaining how to use the substance or the recommended dose, which is concerning since many of the substances purchased could be bought in amounts that varied from 1 g to 1 kg.
Implications
Despite the perception that ‘legal’ means ‘safe’ to some users, NPSs appear to be more harmful than many of their more traditional illegal counterparts. Even though drugs like benzofuran, bromo-dragonFLY and MPA (N-methyl-1-(thiophen-2-yl)propan-2-amine) are legal to buy, little is known about the safety of these substances, how they interact with other drugs, their long-term effects (psychologically and behaviourally) on humans or their toxicity. This also applies to the banned drugs naphyrone, synthetic cannabinoids and mephedrone.
Users of substituted cathinones like mephedrone are presenting to hospitals with tachycardia (rapid heart rate), hypertension, chest pains, myoclonus (muscle contractions), hallucinations, paranoia, violence and sympathomimetic syndrome.
Although there is emerging medical research documenting the harmfulness of NPSs, there is also evidence pertaining to the emergent health risks associated with legal anaesthetics, like benzocaine and lidocaine, which are being sold in their place.
Allergic reactions to benzocaine are common and ingesting more than the recommended amount can cause an overdose, particularly in susceptible individuals because there is ‘no therapeutic window’ (between the doses required to produce a therapeutic effect and those producing toxicity).
Benzocaine has also been linked to a toxic blood disorder methemoglobinaemia in adults who take small quantities medicinally and unknown quantities illicitly in adulterated cocaine.
The presence of benzocaine in legal highs is well documented. However, it is
never listed as one of the active ingredients - meaning each product contains indefinite quantities, which is disturbing since research estimates that benzocaine induced methemoglobinaemia only requires a small amount to cause cyanosis (a bluish discolouration of the skin caused by a deficiency of oxygen in the blood).
Although there have been no known deaths from benzocaine, the death of a teenager was attributed to cocaine containing four times the toxic dose of lidocaine, illustrating the potential health risks arising from the varied composition of these products.
The arbitrariness of the advertised ingredients and mislabelling of products exacerbates the detrimental consequences for the health of the user. Products do not always contain the advertised active ingredients, even those with the same name. The contents of the NRG products have varied substantially from one type of cathinone, to a combination of cathinones, to banned piperazines, and to inorganic material or benzocaine.
Users are inadvertently being exposed to unidentified drugs in unknown concentrations, which increase the risk of toxicity and overdose. Those repeatedly buying the same product and expecting the same effects may actually be taking a completely different and more potent substance. The user is also exposed to the risks arising from the potentiating effect of any drug interactions and their subsequent metabolites produced inside the body.
However, any adverse effects brought on by these drugs are unlikely to be identified by clinicians, as drug screening does not identify these new and unique compounds, and despite recent publications examining specific toxicity case studies, their toxicological detection in biological specimens is challenging. Since only a small amount is need to elicit an effect and the minimum amount that can be purchased is 1 g, users will continue to present themselves to A&E departments across the country.
The public health risks associated with these drugs are compounded by the lack of safety guidance (ie, use and dosage information) provided by websites. All substances are labelled as not fit for human consumption, with some advocating medical assistance if swallowed.
While this does not seem to deter use, it means that NPSs can be sold having undergone no checks and adhering to no regulations, which means that they could contain anything. Therefore, the growth in NPSs poses insurmountable challenges to clinicians attempting to identify and diagnose the adverse health effects arising from the ingestion of un-researched, unknown and unidentifiable chemicals.
source from: BMJ Open is an online, open access journal, dedicated to publishing medical research from all disciplines and therapeutic areas. The journal publishes all research study types, from study protocols to phase I trials to meta-analyses, including small or specialist studies. Publishing procedures are built around fully open peer review and continuous publication, publishing research online as soon as the article is ready.
I will continue to respond to the other parts of your post(s), but for now, I'm out of breath. That, and frankly, it's fap time.
sources:
isomerism . org
fda.gov
bmjopen.com