Bio: KEH works as a Senior consultant Department of Acute Medicine, Oslo University Hospital and a professor of Medicine at University of Oslo in Norway. He is also a clinical consultant for the National Poison Control Center and has worked with Médecins sans Frontieres (MSF/Doctors without Borders) since 2012 to develop the Methanol Poisoning initiative (MPi–see https://methanolpoisoning.msf.org) and has had several field missions with MSF in this regard. KEH is a specialist in internal medicine as well as in emergency medicine, and his PhD is in clinical toxicology. His primary research interest is toxic alcohols, metabolic acidosis, critical care toxicology, toxicology in the developing world, and recreational drugs. He is involved in various innovation projects including the medical isolator EpiShuttle (https://epiguard.com) as a co-inventor, and as CEO of Orphan Diagnostics (https://orphandiagnostics.com) developing a methanol diagnostic tool.

Abstract: Synthetic cannabinoids (SCRAs) have emerged as a significant public health concern globally: With a large diversity in chemical composition and a rapid spread in the markets, the risk of serious side effects for the users and the difficulties for health care professionals to keep up with the progress, makes this a significant health challenge in many areas globally. The nature and epidemiology of drug use is always dependent on the availability of the drugs, but also of the prodrugs used in the production of the synthetic drugs. While the cannabinoids have distinct clinical features, various SCRAs pose risks due to their unpredictable potency and health effects: Both physical -, psychological -, and long-term effects, as well as a combination of those. These effects are typically a result of the different affinity to various cannabinoid receptors. Added to that is a common polydrug use which further complicates the clinical picture. This presentation will focus on some of the challenges seen with synthetic cannabinoids.