RCs Metabolism and excretion of synthetic cannabinoids

[ManOfIndica]

I noticed how similar these newer SCs are and wondered how they were metabolized in relation to each other. Redwood Toxicology, one of the most commonly used drug testing services tests for the following SCs. [TABLE="class: grid_taller_torquoise, width: 480"]
[TR="class: alt"]
[TD]AKB-48 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]AM-1248 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alt"]
[TD]AM-2201 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]AM-694 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alt"]
[TD]JWH-018 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]JWH-019 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alt"]
[TD]JWH-073 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]JWH-081 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alt"]
[TD]JWH-122 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]JWH-200 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alt"]
[TD]JWH-203 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]JWH-210 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alt"]
[TD]JWH-250 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]JWH-398 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alt"]
[TD]MAM-2201 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]RCS-4 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alt"]
[TD]RCS-8 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]UR-144 (and/or metabolites)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]LC/MS/MS[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Qualitative[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alt"]
[TD]XLR-11 (and/or metabol[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Now, majority of the noids on the market now (THJ-018, THJ-2201, 2NE1, 5F-AKB48, etc) are extremely similar to some of these chemicals. Some are indazole derivatives, others fluorinated. Could these new substances be metabolized to the same metabolites as older generation SCs on that list?

 

[sekio]

Could these new substances be metabolized to the same metabolites as older generation SCs on that list?

Depends on the exact structures in question and what you mean by "same". If the compounds in question only differ in e.g. the length of the N-alkyl chain on the indole or indazole then it is very likely they will share common metabolites. Even going from an indole to indazole or what-have-you can result in a compound with the same rough mass on GCMS.

You may consider that any lab which can detect such a diverse array of synthetic cannabinoids will probably be able to find any others that show up. It's not like these compounds have special cloaks that avoid detection: they are obvious sore thumbs in any sort of urine or blood specimen tests these days, and papers detailing the detection of novel cannabinoids pop up in the literature all the time.

This is very very close to a drug testing question, I can read between the lines - and I see closure on the horizon!

 

[ManOfIndica]

Thanks for the input, most people I've asked share the same opinion. And this is not a drug testing question, just a theoretical discussion about toxicology and drug metabolism. Questions like this interest me, and I look forward to pursuing an education in pharmacology.