5F-AMB – is a synthetic cannabinoid of indazole-3-carboxylic acid family, which causes effects similar to that of THC. Full name of the substance is - methyl 2-[[1-(5-fluoropentyl)indazole-3-carbonyl]amino]-3-methylbutanoate. It is also known under the names: 5-Fluoro-AMB; 5F-AMP; 5-Fluoro-AMP; 5F-MMB-PINACA; 5F-AMB-PINACA. 5F-AMB has been detected in products, branded as Kali Berry 2, Herbal Incense: The Super Lemon,1 Apollo,2 Rainbow Special and Luminated Aroma. It is a substance listed as DEA Schedule I. It was first found in samples sold through the internet in Japan in 2014. Scales which the substance is produced and sold at, are still unknown, however, as in case of other synthetic cannabinoids, they are underestimated due to absence of routine control. 5F-AMB synthesis occurs, presumably, at chemical factories in China with subsequent processing and packaging in the country where it is delivered to. That hypothesis is confirmed by the fact that the shipments, seized by law enforcement agencies, are frequently of Chinese origin. It has a molecular formula C19H26FN3O3, molecular weight 363.4 g/mol. It is soluble in water, ethanol, DMSO and dimethylformamide (25 mg/ml). It has one chiral centre and two enantiomers (S and R). S-enantiomer is considered active, while R-form is minimally active. Company Pfizer patent documentation of this substance describes only S- enantiomers. For 5F-ABM identification, both GC-MS and LC-HR-MS are used. UV-Visible specter λmax is at 209 and 301 nm. 5F-AMB is an Anlage II controlled substance in Germany as of May 2015. Sweden's public health agency suggested classifying 5F-AMB as hazardous substance on November 10, 2014. 5F-AMB is controlled by the Fifth Schedule of the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) in Singapore as of May 2015. 5F-AMB was also scheduled in Japan on July 25, 2014. As of October 2015, 5F-AMB is a controlled substance in China.
Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical effects and doses.
In studies on 5F-AMB metabolism on incubated human hepatocytes, it was revealed that the stability of this compound is rather low, and the metabolism is rapid and extensive. There are 17 metabolites, 13 of them include ester group hydrolysis, oxidative defluorination and hydroxylation. Though the most common metabolite is hydrolyzed ether, 5F-AMB carboxylic acid is not used as a biomarker because it is also a metabolite of a related compound 5F-AB-PINACA, according to the study by Clara Schoeder. The best marker is metabolite of glucoronidase of phase II metabolism. As other synthetic cannabinoids, 5F-AMB binds to receptors СВ1 and СВ2 with affinity (Ki = 8.29 and 7.93 nM, respectively). The main metabolite 5F-AMB carboxylic acid has the affinity to these receptors of Ki = 267 and 197 nM, respectively. Other than that, this substance activates both cannabinoid receptors as full agonist in binding analyses using [35S]GTPS (EC50 = 1.3 and 0.272 nM for CB1 and CB2 receptors, respectively). An important difference from THC from a pharmacological perspective is that 5F-AMB induces pronounced bradycardia and hypothermia at low doses. However, hyperthermic effect occurs on increase in the dose, which is difficult to level by hypothetical treatment. This fact was proved in the study of Samuel Banister in 2016. Hypothermic effect is leveled by rimonabant administration. 5F-AMB has a pronounced negative effect on short-term memory, which is confirmed by studies on L5-neurons mPFC. Median lethal dose was also studied on rats, and it was about 3.5 mg/kg. As for the potential of abuse, a recent study states that 5F-AMB fully replaces standard THC in rats, which are used to a dose of 3 mg/kg. The 5F-AMB dose of 1 mg/kg induced the most pronounced toxicity symptoms.
Desirable positive effects include: "spontaneous bodily sensations", described as “buzz” in whole body, mild indistinct skin tingling, a decrease in surface tactile sensitivity, and given that this effect is dose-dependent, with an increase in the dose, uncontrolled defocusing of attention and this sensation may occur with a complete loss of motor control; pronounced sedative effect; emotional changes with anxiety reduction and the appearance of very weak euphoria or pronounced empathy, that is a stabilization of a separate existing emotion and enhancing it, the nominal one that a person is experiencing at the moment of use; "immersion enhancement" effect is described as a tendency of a person to fully delve into the current type of activity that he is engaged in; "changes in felt gravity" is characterized by slow and smooth sensations of flight or wave-like illusions of body swaying, a change in position and a slight loss of proprioception orientation; the appearance of visual effects with elements of distortion of static objects, turning them into dynamic objects changing in projection, the appearance of "ripples" or "clouds / fog" in the surrounding world at the time of use; enhanced sound perception, attraction to favorite music; an increase in visual acuity and brightness; conceptual thinking.
Undesirable negative effects include: impaired motor activity, tachycardia, dry mouth, conjunctival injection or "red eyes", nausea, vomiting, confusion, hallucinations, paranoia, fear, anxiety, distorted perception of time, lethargy, depersonalization / derealization. At high doses there is a high risk of developing paradoxical bradycardia, chest pain, myocardial infarction, convulsions, hypertension, vomiting, convulsions, hyperthermia, psychosis, aggressive behavior, violent behavior, suffocation/aspiration of vomit, uncontrolled agitation.
Use of the substance by people with mental illness is strongly prohibited. As for potential addiction, mental dependence on the substance occurs exclusively with long-term repeated use. There is data on possibility of withdrawal syndrome occurrence, which is characterized by distorted mood, tremor in the extremities, increased anxiety, subdepressive state, spontaneous increase in heart rate and panic attacks, and the above symptoms are leveled within 2-3 months of abstinence without the pharmacological therapy.
As a rule, this substance is administered by smoking mixtures. Considering the fact that it is impossible to differentiate doses of the substance from a number of plant materials, it is recommended to start with minimum doses. The starting dose, which is associated with effects of intoxication, is 5-10 μg/kg, medium doses range from 10 to 20 μg/kg, high and extremely high doses are in range from 20 to 40 μg/kg. Taking into consideration high risk of side effects (including lethal outcome), loss of control over the physical and mental state of the body, it is categorically not recommended to use high doses. When administered by inhalation, manifestation of effects occurs after 5-10 minutes and their duration is 1-3 hours. Depending on the dose, post-effects can remain up to 10 hours. When administered orally (e.g. by means of gelatin capsules), the time of onset of effects varies from 10 to 30 minutes, they can last for a long time (about 5 hours), depending on many factors and metabolism. The most dangerous combinations of drugs, which can cause severe side effects or irreversible physical/mental damage: 2C-Tx, 2C-x, 5-MeO-xxT, amphetamines, cocaine, aMT, DMT, DOx, LSD, mescaline, mushrooms, 25-x-NBOMe.
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