3 ms·

See also: "Future Synthetic Drugs of Abuse" by Donald Cooper of the DEA (1988) https://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/future_synthetic/future_synthetic.sh

See also: "Future Synthetic Drugs of Abuse" by Donald Cooper of the DEA (1988) https://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/future_synthetic/future_synthetic.shtml https://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/future_synthetic... It was clear even then that synthetic opioids were going to be significant. Fentanyl (compound 52, Figure 17) is an analgesic of high potency, approximately 300 times that of morphine, which was developed by Janssen in 1962 (Janssen 1962b) and is N-[(2-phenylethyl)-4-piperidyl]-N-phenyl-propanamide. The first CsA (controlled substance analog) of fentanyl came to the attention of law enforcement in late 1979 but was not identified until 1981 (Allen et al. 1981). In the next three years a procession of new fentanyl CsA's appeared in the illicit drug market. The abuse of fentanyl CsA's peaked in 1985 and has since decreased dramatically (Henderson 1987), a phenomena which was the result of DEA successfully terminating the operation of the responsible laboratories. However, the ripple effect is still being felt as international and national meetings have been held to discuss the problems presented by CsA's.

dendrite9 2y ago
Wow. The next paragraph is interesting to read from the future: It is the author's opinion that fentanyl CsA's will be back as the future analgesic drugs of abuse. The thoughts behind this statement are that the published synthesis schemes for the fentanyl compounds allow for the use of wide variety of precursors as discovered by the confiscated notes from an anonymous clandestine laboratory that synthesized a drug, based on information presented in two separate volumes of the Journal of Organic Chemistry (...). Also, several fentanyl derivatives have such high potencies that the quantities required to be synthesized are trivial. For instance, carfentanil (...) is approximately 4000 times as potent as heroin and has an extremely favorable therapeutic index (Janssen 1985). Hence, an easy week's work for two chemists could provide 10 kilograms of carfentanil which would be equivalent to 40 metric tons of pure heroin.
- sharpshadow 2y ago
  Especially now since Afghanistan is back in Taliban hands. According to this statistics[1] Afghanistan was producing the lion share of the world's opium but that must have changed significantly now after the US left the country. 1. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58308494 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58308494
  - actionfromafar 2y ago
    Y̶e̶s̶,̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶n̶g̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶d̶u̶c̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶̶m̶o̶r̶e̶̶ ̶o̶p̶i̶u̶m̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶o̶i̶n̶.̶ Edit: I misunderstood the article.
    - lukan 2y ago
      Well, the UN for example says different. 95% reduction in 2023. So effectivly allmost banned completely. But you maybe have better sources? https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2023/November/afghanistan-opium-cultivation-in-2023-declined-95-per-cent-following-drug-ban_-new-unodc-survey.html https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2023/November/...
    - herbst 2y ago
      To my understanding the whole US being there and basically allowing the opium trade thing was what made heroin so fucking cheap the recent years, which it isn't anymore. There definitely seems to be a connection here
  - kevinsync 2y ago
    Indeed, they're producing a bunch of meth now. Ephedra grows abundantly way up in the mountains, and the trade routes to Pakistan and Iran are already established. [0] https://cen.acs.org/policy/global-health/Afghanistans-crystal-meth-boom-rooted/99/i13 https://cen.acs.org/policy/global-health/Afghanistans-crysta... [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2022/afghanistan-meth-opium-drug-industry/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2022/afghan...

dendrite9 2y ago

Wow. The next paragraph is interesting to read from the future: It is the author's opinion that fentanyl CsA's will be back as the future analgesic drugs of abuse. The thoughts behind this statement are that the published synthesis schemes for the fentanyl compounds allow for the use of wide variety of precursors as discovered by the confiscated notes from an anonymous clandestine laboratory that synthesized a drug, based on information presented in two separate volumes of the Journal of Organic Chemistry (...). Also, several fentanyl derivatives have such high potencies that the quantities required to be synthesized are trivial. For instance, carfentanil (...) is approximately 4000 times as potent as heroin and has an extremely favorable therapeutic index (Janssen 1985). Hence, an easy week's work for two chemists could provide 10 kilograms of carfentanil which would be equivalent to 40 metric tons of pure heroin.

sharpshadow 2y ago
Especially now since Afghanistan is back in Taliban hands. According to this statistics[1] Afghanistan was producing the lion share of the world's opium but that must have changed significantly now after the US left the country. 1. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58308494 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58308494
- actionfromafar 2y ago
  Y̶e̶s̶,̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶n̶g̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶d̶u̶c̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶̶m̶o̶r̶e̶̶ ̶o̶p̶i̶u̶m̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶o̶i̶n̶.̶ Edit: I misunderstood the article.
  - lukan 2y ago
    Well, the UN for example says different. 95% reduction in 2023. So effectivly allmost banned completely. But you maybe have better sources? https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2023/November/afghanistan-opium-cultivation-in-2023-declined-95-per-cent-following-drug-ban_-new-unodc-survey.html https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2023/November/...
  - herbst 2y ago
    To my understanding the whole US being there and basically allowing the opium trade thing was what made heroin so fucking cheap the recent years, which it isn't anymore. There definitely seems to be a connection here
- kevinsync 2y ago
  Indeed, they're producing a bunch of meth now. Ephedra grows abundantly way up in the mountains, and the trade routes to Pakistan and Iran are already established. [0] https://cen.acs.org/policy/global-health/Afghanistans-crystal-meth-boom-rooted/99/i13 https://cen.acs.org/policy/global-health/Afghanistans-crysta... [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2022/afghanistan-meth-opium-drug-industry/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2022/afghan...