JWH-203 (1-pentyl-3-(2-chlorophenylacetyl)indole) is an

analgesic An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic, antalgic, pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used for pain management. Analgesics are conceptually distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily reduce, and in s ...

chemical from the phenylacetylindole family that acts as a

cannabinoid Cannabinoids () are several structural classes of compounds found primarily in the ''Cannabis'' plant or as synthetic compounds. The most notable cannabinoid is the phytocannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (delta-9-THC), the primary psychoact ...

agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a Receptor (biochemistry), receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are Cell (biology), cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an R ...

with approximately equal affinity at both the CB₁ and CB₂ receptors, having a K_i of 8.0 nM at CB₁ and 7.0 nM at CB₂. It was originally discovered by, and named after, John W. Huffman, but has subsequently been sold without his permission as an ingredient of synthetic cannabis smoking blends. Similar to the related 2'-

methoxy In organic chemistry, a methoxy group is the functional group consisting of a methyl group bound to oxygen. This alkoxy group has the formula . On a benzene ring, the Hammett equation classifies a methoxy substituent at the ''para'' position a ...

compound

JWH-250 JWH-250 or (1-pentyl-3-(2-methoxyphenylacetyl)indole) is an analgesic chemical from the phenylacetylindole family that acts as a cannabinoid agonist at both the Cannabinoid receptor 1, CB1 and Cannabinoid receptor 2 (macrophage), CB2 receptors, w ...

, the 2'- bromo compound

JWH-249 JWH-249 (1-pentyl-3-(2-bromophenylacetyl)indole) is a synthetic cannabinoid from the phenylacetylindole family, which acts as a cannabinoid agonist with about 2.4 times selectivity for CB1 with a Ki of 8.4 ± 1.8 nM and 20&nbs ...

, and the 2'-

methyl In organic chemistry, a methyl group is an alkyl derived from methane, containing one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms, having chemical formula (whereas normal methane has the formula ). In formulas, the group is often abbreviated as ...

compound

JWH-251 JWH-251 (1-pentyl-3-(2-methylphenylacetyl)indole) is a synthetic cannabinoid from the phenylacetylindole family, which acts as a cannabinoid agonist with about five times selectivity for Cannabinoid receptor 1, CB1 with a Dissociation constant, Ki ...

, JWH-203 has a phenyl

acetyl In organic chemistry, an acetyl group is a functional group denoted by the chemical formula and the structure . It is sometimes represented by the symbol Ac (not to be confused with the element actinium). In IUPAC nomenclature, an acetyl grou ...

group in place of the naphthoyl ring used in most amino

alkyl In organic chemistry, an alkyl group is an alkane missing one hydrogen. The term ''alkyl'' is intentionally unspecific to include many possible substitutions. An acyclic alkyl has the general formula of . A cycloalkyl group is derived from a cy ...

indole Indole is an organic compound with the formula . Indole is classified as an aromatic heterocycle. It has a bicyclic structure, consisting of a six-membered benzene ring fused to a five-membered pyrrole ring. Indoles are derivatives of indole ...

cannabinoid compounds, and has the strongest ''in vitro'' binding affinity for the cannabinoid receptors of any compound in the phenylacetyl group. Unexpectedly despite its weaker CB₁ K_i ''in vitro'', the 2-methylindole derivative JWH-204 is actually more potent than JWH-203 in animal tests for cannabinoid activity, though it is still weaker than

Legal status

In the United States, JWH-203 is a Schedule I Controlled Substance. As of October 2015, JWH-203 is a controlled substance in China.

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=August 2019 JWH cannabinoids Phenylacetylindoles 2-Chlorophenyl compounds Designer drugs CB1 receptor agonists CB2 receptor agonists

Legal status

See also

References