5. Conclusion
Synthetic cannabinoid JWH-018 beside known psychoactive properties has
some detrimental cardiac and vascular effects such as tachycardia,
bradycardia, hypotension, arrhythmia and QT prolongation depend on the
dose and duration of application. It seems that JWH-018 has dose and
duration-dependent increase or decrease in heart rate, high-dose-related
decrease in blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, conduction blocks, and
ischemic ECG changes. The information presented in this study suggests
that SCs should not be thought of as secure and authorized substitutes
for cannabis. Instead, the increased toxicity of SCs may be as a result
of the interactions between the many SCs present and their active
metabolites that still have a high affinity for CB1 and CB2 receptors,
emphasizing the potential risk associated with using these drugs.