AB-PINACA is a compound that was first identified as a component of synthetic cannabis products in Japan in 2012. AB-PINACA is a compound that was first identified as a component of synthetic cannabis products in Japan in 2012. It was originally developed by Pfizer in 2009 as an analgesic medication. AB-PINACA acts as a potent agonist for the CB1 receptor (Ki = 2.87 nM, EC50 = 1.2 nM) and CB2 receptor (Ki = 0.88 nM, EC50 = 2.5 nM) and fully substitutes for Δ9-THC in rat discrimination studies, while being 1.5x more potent. There have been a number of reported cases of deaths and hospitalizations in relation to this synthetic cannabinoid. AB-PINACA is an Anlage II controlled substance in Germany as of November 2014. It is listed in the Fifth Schedule of the Misuse of Drugs Act and so is illegal in Singapore, as of May 2015. It is a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States. It is a controlled substance in China as of October 2015. It is a controlled substance in France as of March 2017.