Synthetic Drugs - A Phrase of No Value

I despise the descriptive phrase "synthetic drugs". Why? Because it serves no real purpose other than a media soundbite.

The definition of a "synthetic drug" is not simply a synthetic cannabinoid or a substituted cathinone or a "research chemical".

A "synthetic drug" is anything that was created or SYNTHESIZED. It is manufactured. It is cultivated. It is derived. It is fabricated. It is processed. It was made in a laboratory.

Oh, off the top of my head and in no particular order, here's just a tiny list of drugs that are considered "synthetic drugs":


 

Amphetamine
MDMA
Methamphetamine
Oxycodone
Oxymorphone
Hydrocodone
Hydromorphone
Fentanyl
Acetylfentanyl
Sufentanil
MDPV
Alpha-PVP
Naphyrone
Pentedrone
Methylone
JWH-018
AM-2201
UR-144
XLR11
AB-PINACA
PB-22
25I-NBOMe
2C-B
2C-I
LSD
Methoxetamine
Amobarbital
Secobarbital
Phenobarbital
Alprazolam
Flunitrazepam
Diazepam
Phenazepam
Chlordiazepoxide
Amitriptyline
Imipramine
Clomipramine
Fluoxetine
Sertraline
Quetiapine
Olanzapine
Mirtazapine
Duloxetine
Citalopram
Diphenhydramine
Chlorpheniramine
Doxylamine
Brompheniramine
Atenolol
Metoprolol
Labetalol
Verapamil
Methadone
Ropinirole
Sumatriptan
PCP
Propoxyphene
Zolpidem
Zaleplon
Zopiclone
Methylphenidate
Sildenafil
Tadalafil

Yeah, so there is a list of 63 random drugs that can be described using the phrase "synthetic drug". And we could keep listing substances, but there's no point. "Synthetic drug" means very little to nothing of value.

Media and legislators, please stop using the term.