WHAT ARE THE RISE AND RISK OF RESEARCH CHEMICALS

Any way, you might not know what research chemicals are, we are currently seeing a rising risk of abuse of these chemicals in the US. Research chemicals are psychoactive drugs that are discovered through the research of and experimentation on existing drugs. Existing drugs are researched and experimented with so scientists can better understand their structure, activity, general behavior, interactions and side effects. Studying existing drugs in labs can further our collective knowledge of a substance and help to save lives in the future. However, this research can modify existing drugs to yield what are commonly referred to as “designer drugs.”

These designer drugs often have similar effects as the drug that was originally researched, but the chemical structure of the designer drug is usually different from that of the initial drug. This distinction is key – where one original drug might be illegal and known to be dangerous, for instance, a designer drug might gain popularity because it is not technically the same drug as the original drug and therefore, in some jurisdictions, it is not technically illegal.

Sometimes designer drugs are incorrectly seen as a safe alternative to the original drug.

When designer drugs can be legally sold because they are structurally different than the banned original drug on a chemical level, they are considered to be a part of the “grey market,” although their sale may take place on the black market.

Fully understand many important aspects of the substances

There are many safety concerns associated with the use of designer drugs and research chemicals. These substances have not been tested for the most part. Without testing, it is impossible for scientists, law enforcement agents, drug dealers, or users of these drugs to fully understand many important aspects of the substances. Adequate testing could provide the scientific and medical community as well as the general public with vital information regarding the toxicology, side effects, and dangerous interaction potential of research chemicals.

Without this information, however, anyone who purchases a research chemical is at risk. Even if the risks associated with the original drug are well understood, these research chemicals are often far different from the original drug – different enough to have a completely separate set of dangers, dosage requirements or interactions.