Convenience Store Drugs

Background

Convenience stores in the United States have become a welcomed haven for people with a substance abuse disorder. Why, you may ask? Walk into any convenience store and look at the products that can be easily purchased. Called “Gas Station Drugs”, these are products that have legal ambiguity, are potentially addictive, and have absolutely no oversight from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for quality, purity, and safety. Yet, they are freely available in most convenience stores and are not regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

In this blog, we will summarize the various products that can be found and purchased in convenience stores across the United States.

Bath Salts¹

Synthetic stimulants often referred to as “bath salts” are from the synthetic cathinone class of drugs. Synthetic cathinones are central nervous stimulants and are designed to mimic effects similar to those produced by cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA (ecstasy). These substances are often marketed as “bath salts,” “research chemicals,” “plant food,” “glass cleaner,” and labeled “not for human consumption,” in order to circumvent application of the Controlled Substance Analogue Enforcement Act.

Bath Salts are used by sniffing, snorting, smoked, orally ingested, or dissolved and injected.

Street names are Bliss, Blue Silk, Cloud Nine, Drone, Energy-1, Ivory Wave, Lunar Wave, Meow Meow, Ocean Burst, Pure Ivory, Purple Wave, Red Dove, Snow Leopard, Stardust, Vanilla Sky, White Dove, White Knight, and White Lightning.

Bodily effects include euphoria and alertness. Other effects include psychological effects such as confusion, acute psychosis, agitation, combativeness, aggression, violent and self-destructive behavior paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions. Adverse or toxic effects include rapid heartbeat; hypertension; hyperthermia; prolonged dilation of the pupil of the eye; breakdown of muscle fibers that leads to release of muscle fiber contents into bloodstream; teeth grinding; sweating; headaches; palpitations; seizures

Delta-8 THC²

Marijuana refers to all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., including flower, seeds, and extracts with more than 0.3% delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) by dry weight. Any part of the cannabis plant containing 0.3% or less THC by dry weight is defined as hemp. CBD is another active cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant that is not psychoactive and does not cause a “high”. THC has several other isomers that occur in the cannabis plant, including delta-8 THC. Delta-8 THC exists naturally in the cannabis plant in only small quantities. CBD can be synthetically converted into delta-8 THC
with a solvent, acid, and heat to produce higher concentrations of delta-8 THC than those found naturally in the cannabis plant. This conversion process, used to produce some marketed products, may create harmful by-products that presently are not well-characterized.

Delta-8 THC containing products have entered the marketplace, including, but not
limited to, vapes, smokable hemp sprayed with delta-8 THC extract, distillates, tinctures, gummies, chocolates, and infused beverages.

Street names are Diet Weed and Marijuana Lite.

Bodily effects include a feeling of being “high” but can cause dry mouth, red eyes, anxiety, drowsiness, confusion, impaired coordination, vomiting, loss of consciousness and seizures.

Kratom³

Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. Consumption of its leaves produces both stimulant effects (in low doses) and sedative effects (in high doses), and can lead to psychotic symptoms, and psychological/physiological dependence. Kratom leaves contain two major psychoactive constituents (mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine). These leaves are crushed and then smoked, brewed with tea, or placed into gel capsules. Kratom has a long history of use in Southeast Asia. In the U.S., the abuse of kratom has increased markedly in recent years.

Street names are Thang, Kakuam, Thom, Ketum, and Biak.

Bodily effects at low doses are increased alertness, physical energy, and talkativeness. At high doses, bodily effects include sedation, hallucinations, delusion, confusion, nausea, itching, sweating, dry mouth, constipation, increased urination, and loss of appetite. Long-term use can cause anorexia, weight loss, and insomnia. Kratom is often used as a self-withdrawal from opioid use.

Phenibut⁴

Phenibut (β-phenyl-γ-aminobutyric acid) is an unregulated drug developed in Russia in the 1960s for use as an antianxiety medication with cognitive enhancement properties. Online retailers recently have contributed to a growing U.S. market for phenibut, which is advertised for anxiety, relaxation, and sleep.

Phenibut is swallowed in tablet or powder form and can also be injected.

Street names are Fenibut, Pbut, Noofen, and Brain Booster.

Phenibut use and misuse can result in sedation, respiratory depression, and reduced levels of consciousness, as well as withdrawal symptoms including anxiety, agitation, and acute psychosis. Regional poison center data suggest that phenibut exposures have increased in recent years.

Synthetic Marijuana, (K2, Spice)⁵

K2 and Spice are just two of the many trade names or brands for synthetic designer drugs that are intended to mimic THC, the main psychoactive constituent of marijuana. These designer synthetic drugs are from the synthetic cannabinoid class of drugs that are often marketed and sold under the guise of “herbal incense” or “potpourri.” These products are being abused for their psychoactive properties and are packaged without information as to their health and safety risks.

Spraying or mixing the synthetic cannabinoids on plant material provides a vehicle for the most common route of administration – smoking (using a pipe, a water pipe, or rolling the drug-laced plant material in cigarette papers). In addition to the cannabinoids laced on plant material and sold as potpourri and incense, liquid cannabinoids have been designed to be vaporized through both disposable and reusable electronic cigarettes.

Street names are Spice, K2, RedX Dawn, Paradise, Demon, Black Magic, Spike, Mr. Nice Guy, Ninja, Zohai, Dream, Genie, Sence, Smoke, Skunk, Serenity, Yucatan, Fire, Skooby Snax, and Crazy Clown.

State public health and poison control centers have issued warnings in response to adverse health effects associated with abuse of herbal incense products containing these synthetic cannabinoids. These adverse effects included tachycardia (elevated heart rate), elevated blood pressure, unconsciousness, tremors, seizures, vomiting, hallucinations, agitation, anxiety, pallor, numbness, and tingling. In some instances, the adverse health effects can be long-lasting even after the user quits using the substances.

Tianeptine⁶

Tianeptine is a medicine available for use in some European, Asian and South American countries to treat anxiety, depression and irritable bowel syndrome. Tianeptine has recently emerged on the illicit drug market in the United States. According to recent case reports, tianeptine is abused for its euphoric properties similar to other opioids. Severe adverse health effects, including respiratory depression, severe sedation, and death, have occurred from the misuse of tianeptine.

Commonly used as a powder and ingested in tablet form.

Street names are ZaZa, Tianna Red, Gas Station Heroin.

Bodily effects are abdominal pain, bad dreams, constipation, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, headache and nausea.

Discussion

While none of the above substances are found on the DEA’s Federal Register of controlled substances, many states, counties, and drug court programs have enacted their own laws to control the sale and use of these drugs. Additionally, the FDA does not control these substances either, whereby quality, purity, and safety are unknown. As a result, users of these substances face the threat of poisoning and toxicity.

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