New Cannabinoid Laws ban Common Products

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) June 20, 2011 --

The Retail Compliance Association (RCA) is conducting research into the number of products currently available that contain direct or indirect Cannabinoid Receptor Stimulants that are now banned under a new set of strict state laws. “What we are finding is amazing, everything from artificial chocolate flavor, to synthetic motor oil contains analogues to the synthetic cannabinoids that have been banned, its brand new science, these receptors are responsible for so many bodily functions that it seems impossible that the new laws did not go way overboard in their extremely vague descriptions of potentially banned compounds” said Daniel Francis, Executive Director of the RCA “the science of the physiology is now catching up to the chemistry, and it truly is amazing that at least 8 states have made Tylenol a schedule 1 drug”.

Acetominophen, aka Tylenol, or the pain reliving medicine in Nyquil is now a schedule one drug, making it a felony to possess, distribute or sell in many states due to their new, broad reaching attempts to ban cannabinoids with compound specific bans. Florida, Wisconsin and Texas are amongst the states that have outlawed thousands of common products in their hasty effort to pass legislation to ban these compounds.

The Texas law reads:

" any quantity of a synthetic chemical compound that is a cannabinoid receptor agonist and mimics the pharmacological effect of naturally occurring cannabinoids....."

For Acetaminophen, the main active ingredient in Tylenol preparations and hundreds of other brands, there is a part of the medication that breaks down into the synthetic cannabinoid AM404, a Cannabinoid type 1 receptor agonist, specifically banned by these laws. It also uses the CB1 receptor to deliver its pain relieving actions, like natural cannabis.

“Acetaminophen is metabolized to the primary amine p-aminophenol, which is further conjugated with arachidonic acid to form the bioactive fatty acid amide N-arachidonoyl phenolamine (AM404). (1)

From Wiki: AM404, also known as N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)arachidonoylethanolamide, is an active metabolite of paracetamol (acetaminophen), responsible for all or part of its analgesic action. (2)

This study showed that the active ingredient in acetaminophen becomes the synthetic cannabinoid AM404 via a two step process. As a result the medication is an indirect CB1 agonist, and this action, may be the reason for all of the medications pain relieving properties. The laws do not discern between direct or indirect agonists.

It is not limited to Tylenol, Echinacea too is a cannabinoid receptor type 1 stimulant. The natural compounds in echinacea are called "alkylamides" and likely exist in many plants, and all are likely to stimulate the CB1 receptor

" These natural compounds are known as alkylamides and also have been classified as cannabinomimetics--substances that interact with cannabinoid receptors, known as CB1 and CB2. Yes, marijuana activates those cannabinoid receptors, giving a user the "munchies"; echinacea can do the same thing, legally." (3)

The RCA will release a list of unintended banned goods soon that will have an efffect on these new laws maybe even making them unenforceable due to 14th Amendment issues that this type of law is running straight up against. The 14th Amendment protects US Citizens from “arbitrary and discriminate enforcement” of the law, which has already started amongst many local law enforcement agencies. Will they go after the drug store clerks like they have smoke shop owners? Probably not, and in not doing so, are expressing a discriminate posture to enforcing the law.

"It is because the science is so complicated, and the cannabinoid receptor groups are so common in the human brain, that the RCA seeks regulations over any ban. Banning these compounds will continue to embarrass legislators and be ineffective in managing these emerging issues. I believe the ability of states or federal agencies to use the the Analogue or Homolog Acts will be impaired, they will have to acknowledge that they are discriminating in enforcing the law if any attempt at an Analogue Act prosecution is made" stated Francis.


Supporting links:
1 .http://www.jbc.org/content/280/36/31405.full
2 .http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AM404
3. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KFY/is_2_25/ai_n27197840/
4. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014299905013178
5. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584609002103
6. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006295206008070

cannabinoids     DEA ban     Fake Pot Ban     jwh018 am2201     JWH250     new state law     Retail Compliance Association     Synthetic Cannabinoids