JWH-018

1-pentyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (also called am-678 and jwh-018) is a full agonist synthetic cannabinoid first synthesized by organic chemist john w. huffman. it gained popularity in late 2008 when german chemists found it as a chemical within the popular synthetic cannabis blend spice, which had been sold in numerous countries around the world since 2002.

cannabinoids are commonly smoked or vaporized to achieve a quick onset of effects and rapid offset. jwh-018 is orally active when dissolved in a lipid, which can increase the duration significantly. like other cannabinoids, it is insoluble in water but dissolves in ethanol and lipids.

unlike cannabis, the chronic abuse of synthetic cannabinoids has been associated with multiple deaths and more dangerous side effects and toxicity in general. therefore, it is very strongly discouraged to take this substance for extended periods of time or in excessive doses.

chemistry

jwh-018, or naphthalen-1-yl-(1-pentylindol-3-yl)methanone, is a synthetic cannabinoid containing a substituted indole structure. this indole core is shared with other cannabinoid substances including pb-22, 5f-pb-22, jwh-018, and am2201. jwh-018 is substituted at r₁ with a pentyl chain. additionally, the indole core is substituted at r₃ with a carbonyl group which is also bonded to a napthalene moeity. napthalene is a bicyclic structure of two fused benzene rings. this carbonyl bridge of jwh-018 classifies it as a ketone. jwh-018 is an analog of thj-018, in which the core indazole structure is substituted with an indole base.

pharmacology

jwh-018 is a full agonist of both the cb1 and cb2 cannabinoid receptors, with a reported binding affinity of 9.00 ± 5.00 nm at cb1 and 2.94 ± 2.65 nm at cb2. however, the role of these interactions and how it results in the cannabinoid high experience continues to remain elusive.