Use of both cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids has been regularly linked to the development of psychotic illness. Thus, semisynthetic cannabinoids such as hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), which have a similar neurobiological profile to delta-9-THC, may also be expected to lead to psychotic illness. However, no such relationship has yet been reported in scientific literature. HHC is readily available online and in many vape shops in Ireland. Here, we present two cases of psychotic illness which appear to have been precipitated by use of legally purchased HHC and discuss its psychotogenic role and factors linked to its current widespread availability.

X-ray powder diffraction data, unit-cell parameters and space group for methoxmetamine (C14H20ClNO2) are reported [a = 6.5768(7) Å, b = 14.0830(10) Å, c = 15.0530(10) Å, β = 90.975(2)°, unit-cell volume V = 1394.0(2) Å3, and Z = 4, and space group P21/n]. All measured lines were indexed and are consistent with the P21/n space group. No detectable impurities were observed.

X-ray powder diffraction data, unit-cell parameters and space group for 2-(ethylamino)-2-(3-methoxyphenyl)cyclohexan-1-one hydrochloride, C15H22ClNO2, are reported [a = 8.574(2) Å, b = 9.943(2) Å, c = 8.774(1) Å, β = 100.294(3)°, unit-cell volume V = 736(1) Å3, Z = 2, and space-group P21]. All measured lines were indexed and are consistent with the P21 space group. No detectable impurities were observed.

X-ray powder diffraction data, unit-cell parameters, and space group for S-2-(methylamino)-2-phenylcyclohexan-1-one hydrochloride, C13H18ClNO, are reported [a = 6.578 (1) Å, b = 13.250 (2) Å, c = 15.096 (2) Å, β = 91.619 (3)°, unit-cell volume V = 1315(1) Å3, Z = 4, and space group P21]. All measured lines were indexed and are consistent with the P21 space group. No detectable impurities were observed.

Over the past 20 years, many designer drugs derived from controlled substances have been widely distributed as easily available psychoactive substances and have become a serious problem in Japan. In order to determine the absolute structures of four new designer drugs derived from medicines (methylphenidate and phenmetrazine) X-ray single-crystal structure analyses were performed using the BL26B1 beamline of synchrotron radiation facility SPring-8. The results show that the molecular configuration of these designer drugs (having two asymmetric carbons), which were distributed in the illegal drug market had threo-forms as found for methylphenidate and phenmetrazine.

Two cases of psychiatric disorder temporally related to the abuse of hallucinogenic amphetamines 3, 4 methylenedi-oxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA) are described, suggesting that a variety of psychiatric morbidity may be precipitated by abuse of these drugs, including paranoid psychosis, mixed affective psychosis and symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder.