China moves to regulate all synthetic cannabinoids By Syndicated Content May 11, 2021 | 12:28 AM BEIJING (Reuters) – China will become the world’s first country to regulate all synthetic cannabinoid substances, in a bid to get ahead of new variations whose chemical properties are not yet subject to regulation, the country’s drugs control office said on Tuesday. Synthetic cannabinoids are lab-made drugs originally designed to produce similar effects to cannabis, but which are often far stronger and carry a greater health risk, Deng Ming, deputy director of China’s National Narcotics Control Commission, said at a briefing. By the end of 2020, 1047 variations had appeared worldwide, Deng said. Some of the drugs in China were being produced domestically, though some were also being smuggled from abroad, he added.