Pet Safety / Compounds / JWH-018 (Synthetic cannabinoid)

Is JWH-018 (Synthetic cannabinoid) safe for dogs and cats?

Very high risk for pets

Dogs highly sensitive to cannabinoids. Full agonist activity makes this far more dangerous than THC. Tremors, seizures, coma reported.

What is jwh-018 (synthetic cannabinoid)?

The IUPAC name is naphthalen-1-yl-(1-pentylindol-3-yl)methanone.

Also known as: 209414-07-3, JWH-018, JWH 018, JWH018.

IUPAC name
naphthalen-1-yl-(1-pentylindol-3-yl)methanone
CAS number
209414-07-3
Molecular formula
C24H23NO
Molecular weight
341.4 g/mol
SMILES
CCCCCn1cc(C(=O)c2cccc3ccccc23)c2ccccc21
PubChem CID
10382701

Risk for dogs

Very high risk

Dogs highly sensitive to cannabinoids. Full agonist activity makes this far more dangerous than THC. Tremors, seizures, coma reported.

Risk for cats

Very high risk

Extreme cannabinoid sensitivity. Full agonist activity at CB1 is life-threatening.

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified JWH-018 (Synthetic cannabinoid). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
DEA2012Schedule I controlled substance
UN20151971 Convention — Schedule II (added 2015)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where pets encounter jwh-018 (synthetic cannabinoid)

  • Illicit Drug
  • Research Chemical

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to JWH-018 (Synthetic cannabinoid):

  • Legal cannabis (where permitted)
    Trade-offs: Natural cannabinoids have established safety profile. Synthetic cannabinoids are far more potent and unpredictable.
    Relative cost: Similar in legal markets

Frequently asked questions

Is jwh-018 (synthetic cannabinoid) safe for pets?

Dogs highly sensitive to cannabinoids. Full agonist activity makes this far more dangerous than THC. Tremors, seizures, coma reported.

See JWH-018 (Synthetic cannabinoid) in the pets app

Look up products containing jwh-018 (synthetic cannabinoid), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (1)
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Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →