Chapter 12

The Focus is what

on the ingested substance and how they become forensic evidence

before and after the ingestion process

What is the primary relative question in drug analysis?

the what question – identification of the drug or poison substance before ingestion as well as how a substance was synthesized and what the ingredients were, and how much?

Drug analysts perform quantitative analysis to determine characteristics such as

% purity

Illicit drug

an illegal one or a legal drug obtained or used illegally.

degree of intoxication

the level of impairment caused by alcohol or drugs.

drug paraphernalia

items associated with drug use, such as syringes or pipes

alkaloids

The most common plant-based drugs are chemically classified as

Physical form is another way to classify substances

Most are solids, but there are liquid toxins, such as ethanol (the alcohol in beverages such as wine), methanol (wood alcohol), and the element mercury, which is a liquid. Cyanide (HCN) is a gas, as is the arsine form of arsenic (AsH3) and carbon monoxide (CO).

predator drugs

Also known as date-rape drugs and drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) agents, these substances are used to incapacitate a victim for sexual purposes.

club drugs

These are drugs used at parties and clubs frequented by young people; many are also predator drugs.

Human performance drugs

Also referred to generically as performance-enhancing substances (PES), these drugs consist of substances that improve or impair one’s performance, most notably anabolic steroids and alcohol.

Inhalants

ingested through breath to produce their desired effects.

Analgesics

drugs that relieve pain.

NSAIDs

nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Narcotics

have analgesic effects and tend to depress the CNS and promote sleep

malem prohibitum

defined as wrong by law

malem in se

describes behaviors or actions that most humans consider to be immoral, such as murder or rape.

Controlled Substances Act

key legislation in the United States

Morphine

first compound extracted from the opium poppy and used for pain relief; codeine is also directly extractable.

pharmacological similarity

Drugs that have similar effects on the body, even if they have different chemical structures.

chemical similarity.

Drugs that have similar chemical structures.

Depressants

drugs that slow down the central nervous system (CNS), including the brain and spinal cord.

stimulants

provokes intense euphoria

anorexic actions

appetite suppressant

Cocaine

a stimulant that resembles amphetamine in its abuse potential and pharmacological responses.

cannabinoids

Comes from the Cannabis sativa plant.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

the primary active agent and is present to the extent of 2% or more by weight in cannabis.

commercial pharmaceuticals can be diverted to

illicit use

Benzodiazepines

a large class of medications prescribed for sleep and anxiety disorders that are diversion targets. This class includes Valium, Ambien, and Xanax.

Novel psychoactive substances (NPSs)

compounds that have emerged as an unprecedented threat in seized drug analysis, public health, and toxicology in terms of both intoxication and fatalities.

Designer drugs

illegally made drugs that are created to produce the same effects as other illegal drugs while being slightly changed so they may not be covered by drug laws (such as the Controlled Substances Act, or CSA).

bath salts

synthetic cathinones, a group that includes stimulants;

cathinone

the active ingredient in khat leaves.

novel synthetic opioids (NSO)

A recent and deadly addition to NPSs

NSO

new, human-made opioid drugs that are chemically related to substances like morphine, heroin, and fentanyl.

Analogs

new versions of an existing drug that have a slightly altered chemical structure but produce similar effects.

cutting agents, diluents, or thinners.

addition of other ingredients, active and inactive, often dilutes drugs sold on the street to individual users.

Adulterants

pharmacologically active but also inexpensive and often selected to mimic the effect of the illicit drug.

Counterfeit drugs

manufactured to look like legitimate products but contain something else.

Drugs can become transfer evidence just like

DNA and other materials

fine powders are particularly concerning in forensic drug laboratories

because

they are prone to dispersal and airborne transfer.

Modern analytical chemistry methods and instruments can detect

minute invisible

residues that may exist as background contaminations in a forensic chemistry

laboratory”

Because of the chemicals involved, the site of a clandestine

lab is a hazardous materials incident.

It necessitates invoking different protocols for crime

scene processing. People processing the scene must wear full protective gear

Clandestine drug laboratories

hidden or secret locations that manufacture controlled substances.

Drug profiling

analyzing the sample’s composition beyond identifying and quantifying the controlled substance(s) present.

precursors

the raw materials used during drug production or synthesis.

The flow of a typical forensic analysis begins with

screening or presumptive testing”

n the field, presumptive drug tests are designed to

help law enforcement determine what illegal or regulated substances might be present”

Chromatography is used to

separate components of mixtures using thin-layer

chromatography . . . or integrated into instrumentation such as GC-MS

GC-MS an abbreviation for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

the instrument most frequently used for confirmation of drug identification.

Another method that can be used if a sample is sufficiently pure is

infrared spectroscopy (IR)

Infrared Spectroscopy

This instrument system directs a sequence of wavelengths of infrared energy through the sample and observes which wavelengths are absorbed and to what extent.

“occasionally, seized drug analysts become involved in poisoning casesand the analysis of poisons, pesticides, and powders such as arsenic and cyanide”

“methods used for these substances are not part of the routine work of drug analysis sections [of labs] . . .”