A market on both %26quot;sides%26quot; of the law: The use of the hidden web for the sale of new psychoactive substances

作者：Wadsworth Elle; Drummond Colin; Kimergard Andreas; Deluca Paolo

来源：Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental , 2017, 32(3): e2596.

DOI：10.1002/hup.2596

• cryptomarkets
• drug supply
• hidden Web
• new psychoactive substances
• psychoactive substances act
• 2016

ObjectiveThe hidden Web is used for the anonymous sale of drugs, and with the UK Psychoactive Substances Act, 2016, implemented on May 26th 2016; it could increase as a platform for obtaining new psychoactive substances (NPS). This study aims to describe the NPS market on the visible and hidden Web preban, and assess whether the hidden Web is a likely place for the sale of NPS postban.
MethodsData collection of 113 online shops took place in October 2015. Data collection of 22 cryptomarkets took place every 2months from October 2015 to 2016 as part of the CASSANDRA project.
ResultsAll online shops with a UK domain location sold NPS that were uncontrolled by the UK Misuse of Drugs Act, 1971, and closed after the ban. Of the cryptomarkets analysed, the total number of vendors selling NPS, number of substances, and listings advertised, all increased over the year. The majority of the NPS advertised on the hidden Web were phenethylamines and cathinones, yet the majority of uncontrolled NPS were synthetic cannabinoids.
ConclusionsVendors selling and availability of NPS increased over the 12months of data collection. Potential displacement from the visible Web to hidden Web should be taken into consideration.

• 出版日期2017-5