John William Huffman (born 1932) is a professor emeritus of organic chemistry at
Clemson University who first synthesised many novel cannabinoids, including
JWH-007,
JWH-015,
JWH-018,
JWH-019,
JWH-030,
JWH-051,
JWH-073,
JWH-081,
JWH-122,
JWH-133,
JWH-147,
JWH-171,
JWH-182,
JWH-203,
JWH-210,
JWH-250,
JWH-307,
JWH-359 and
JWH-398.[SUP]
[1][/SUP] His research, funded by the
National Institute on Drug Abuse, was focused on making a drug to target
endocannabinoid receptors in the body.[SUP]
[2][/SUP]
Beginning in 1984, Huffman and his team of researchers began developing cannabinoid compounds to aid in research of multiple sclerosis, AIDS, and chemotherapy. Over the course of twenty years, Huffman and his team developed 450 synthetic cannabinoid compounds which were used to test the effect of cannabinoid receptors in the brain and other organs. Ultimately, the cannabinoid research provided understanding of diseases and information for medication development.[SUP][
citation needed][/SUP] In the late 2000s, two of Huffman's cannabinoid compounds began being sold in Germany as
marijuana alternatives known as K2 and Spice. "I figured once it got started in Germany it was going to spread. I'm concerned that it could hurt people," Huffman said. "I think this was something that was more or less inevitable. It bothers me that people are so stupid as to use this stuff". Huffman may have developed these compounds for scientific research, but now he gets blamed for its abuse. Angered by this accusation, Huffman says "If you go around paying $40 for a packet of leaves that contains who knows what and smoke it, you are not a very responsible person".[SUP][
citation needed][/SUP] As JWH-018 is more potent and easy to make, Huffman believes it is more widely used synthetic cannabinoid of the JWH series.[SUP]
[3[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_W._Huffman#cite_note-Science_Technology-2"]]
[/URL]More than half a dozen countries have banned herbal blends containing synthetic cannabinoids since 2008. Many countries also consider banning these mixtures. In the US, the state of Kansas banned K2. JWH-018 is not currently banned by controlled substances act. However, it is designated as a compound of concern by US Drug Enforcement Administration.[SUP][URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_W._Huffman#cite_note-Science_Technology-2"][3][/SUP]
Law enforcement officials in Canada asked Huffman to serve as a consultant and expert witness. He received numerous media queries and requests for analytical help from law enforcement officials.[SUP][3][/SUP]
[edit]Interview
In an interview, Huffman said: "It's like playing russian roulette because we don't have toxicity data, we don't know the metabolites, and we don't know the pharmacokinetics".[SUP][3][/SUP] Huffman finds it difficult when he hears stories about friends or relatives who have gotten ill or died from using one of the synthetic cannabinoids which he designed. Still, he feels that he is not responsible for the actions of those who use them; he created these research compounds and published them - "I wasn't the least bit surprised (that they were being produced). Somebody is going to look for something to make money from and to bring people temporary pleasure...".[SUP][3][/SUP]
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[/URL][/SUP]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_W._Huffman
