Abbreviations

In the abbreviations and acronyms listed below, only the more frequently-mentioned drugs are included. Acronyms for many phenethylamines and tryptamines can be found in the publications PiHKAL and TiHKAL respectively (see Bibliography). Some well-known abbreviations, such as THC and MDMA will not be found in the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDAct) because they are subsumed by generic definitions. Thus, THC is ‘a tetrahydro derivative of cannabinol’, and MDMA is ‘a compound…structurally derived from …an N-alkylphenethylamine…by substitution in the ring… with… alkylenedioxy…substituents’. LSD is listed specifically under the approved name lysergide. Although cannabis (herbal cannabis; marijuana) and cannabis resin (hashish) are distinct entities, it is sometimes convenient to describe them both under the collective term ‘cannabis’. Similarly, ‘cannabinols’ is used to mean cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives; a distinction is only made in the text where legal or chemical aspects need to be identified. The MDAct and other UK legislation uses the word ‘sulphate’, whereas the preferred international term is now ‘sulfate’. For sulfur-containing compounds, this book uses that word as well as sulfate, sulfuric etc. except where the legislation is directly quoted. Although some texts use ‘MDA’ as an abbreviation for the Misuse of Drugs Act, ‘MDAct’ is used here to avoid confusion with 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA). Expanded definitions of some abbreviations shown below can be found in the Glossary.

1,4-BD

1,4-Butanediol

2C-I

2,5-Dimethoxy-4-iodophenethylamine

2C-T-2

2,5-Dimethoxy-4-ethylthioamphetamine

2C-T-7

2,5-Dimethoxy-4-propylthiophenethylamine

4-MTA

4-Methylthioamphetamine

5-HT

5-Hydroxytryptamine (serotonin)

ACMD

UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

API

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient

BAN

British Approved Name

BZP

1-Benzylpiperazine

CBD

Cannabidiol

CBN

Cannabinol

CND

Commission on Narcotic Drugs (a UN body)

CNS

Central Nervous System

DEA

Drug Enforcement Administration (US)

DHEA

Dehydroepiandrosterone

DOB

4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxy-α-methylphenethylamine

DPMA

Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) Act 1964

ECDD

Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (part of WHO)

EMA

European Medicines Agency

EMCDDA

European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction

EU

European Union

EWS

Early Warning System

GABA

γ-Aminobutyric acid, a neurotransmitter

GBL

γ-Butyrolactone

GC-MS

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

GHB

γ-Hydroxybutyrate; 4-hydoxybutyric acid

GHV

γ-Hydroxyvaleric acid

GVL

4-Hydroxypentanoic acid lactone

HO

The UK Home Office

INN

International Non-proprietary Name

IUPAC

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry

LSD

Lysergide; Lysergic acid diethylamide

MBDB

N-Methyl-1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-butanamine

mCPP

1-(3-Chlorophenyl)piperazine

MD Regulations

The UK Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (as amended)

MDA

3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine

MDAct

The UK Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (as amended)

MDEA

3,4-Methylenedioxyethylamphetamine

MDMA

3,4-Methylenedioxymethylamphetamine

MDPEA

Methylenedioxyphenethylamine

MHRA

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency

NBOMe

N-Benzylmethoxyphenethylamine

NHS

The UK National Health Service

NPS

New Psychoactive Substance (EMCDDA post 2005). Less commonly, Novel Psychoactive Substance

NRG-1

Naphthylpyrovalerone (naphyrone)

NSD

New Synthetic Drug (EMCDDA use before 2005)

ONS

Office for National Statistics

P2P

1-Phenyl-2-propanone

PCP

Phencyclidine

PEA

Phenethylamine

PiHKAL

Book: Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved (see Bibliography)

PMA

4-Methoxyamphetamine

PMK

3,4-Methylenedioxyphenyl-2-propanone

PMMA

4-Methoxymethylamphetamine

PSA

UK Psychoactive Substances Act 2016

R

Rectus (stereochemical prefix) or (R) an unspecified substituent

S

Sinister (stereochemical prefix)

S.I.

Statutory Instrument

SCRA

Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist

STP

2,5-Dimethoxy-α,4-dimethylphenethylamine

TCDO

Temporary Class Drug Order

THC

Δ⁹ -Tetrahydrocannabinol

THCA

Δ⁹ -Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid

TiHKAL

Book: Tryptamines I Have Known and Loved (see Bibliography)

TMA-2

2,4,5-Trimethoxyamphetamine

UK

United Kingdom

UN 1961

United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 (as amended)

UN 1971

United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971 (as amended)

UN 1988

United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988 (as amended)

UN

United Nations

UNODC

UN Office on Drugs and Crime

US

United States of America

WADA

World Anti-Doping Agency

WHO

World Health Organization