Aim:

Synthetic cannabinoids are new generation psychoactive substances synthesized in laboratories and act on cannabinoid receptors. They are more potent and have prolonged effects than natural cannabinoids. The aim of this study was to assess demographic and autopsy findings of synthetic cannabinoid (SC) intoxication cases.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 6165 autopsy cases performed between 2012 and 2015 at Turkish Council of Forensic Medicine, Ankara Group Administration were examined, and the SC intoxication deaths cases were assessed together with demographic characteristics, SC species detected in blood and tissues, macroscopic autopsy findings and histopathological examination.

Results:

Six different synthetic cannabinoid species; JWH-0122, JWH-018, JWH-073, CP47,497 C8 HOMOLOG, AB-CHMINACA and AM 2201 were determined in blood and tissue samples of 21 deaths cases. SC was detected by enzymatic method in one patient during hospital treatment, but there were no drug was found in postmortem samples after 11 days of treatment. Atheroma plaques in coronary arteries were detected in heart tissue of 16 cases as macroscopic findings; microscopic findings were ischemia in 4 cases, congestion in 7 cases and fibrosis in 6 cases were detected. Macroscopically, there were bloody foamy fluids in 15 cases, alveolar edema in 9 cases, emphysematous changes in 8 cases and alveolar macrophage infiltration in 7 cases.

Conclusion:

In recent years, SC intoxication deaths increase is remarkable. Due to no scientific correlation between SC concentrations in blood and intoxication doses, autopsy findings and history are supportive to determine the cause of death in addition to laboratory results.

Keywords: Synthetic cannabinoids, autopsy, JWH, ABCHMINACA, AM 2201