Mrs. Svedstrup

Illicit Drugs Chapter 16

Drugs are substances that have a physical and/or psychoactive effect on a person

Licit drugs are manufactured to have specific, reproducible, predictable effects.

What are Licit Drugs?

Licit drugs with desirable psychoactive effects or side effects that are abused

Naturally occurring or semi-synthetic substances that have pleasurable psychoactive effects and that are abused

Also abused drugs, controlled substances, seized drugs

What are Illicit Drugs?

Legal status of drugs in US

Classification of drugs by source

Classification of drugs by effects

Analysis of drugs

Clandestine drug laboratories

Scope of this Chapter

The Controlled Substances Act (CSA), Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 defines illicit drugs as controlled substances

5 schedules (I-V) – Lower numbered schedules (I, II) carry higher

penalties

2 criteria for scheduling a drug – Potential for abuse

– Existence of legitimate medical use as defined by FDA

Federal Drug Control

Schedule I – No legitimate medical use

– Highest potential for abuse

– Examples

Heroin

LSD

PCP

Marihuana

Federal Drug Schedules

The term "marihuana" means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin extracted from any part of such plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such plant, its seeds or resin. Such term does not include the mature stalks of such plant, fiber produced from such stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of such plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such mature stalks (except the resin extracted there from), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of such plant which is incapable of germination.

Legal Definition of Marihuana

Schedule II

–Highest potential for abuse

–Legitimate medical use

–Examples

Cocaine

Amphetamines

Barbiturates

Morphine

Codeine

Federal Drug Schedules

coca leaves, except coca leaves and extracts of coca leaves from which cocaine, ecgonine, and derivatives of ecgonine or their salts have been removed; cocaine, its salts, optical and geometric isomers, and salts of isomers; ecgonine, its derivatives, their salts, isomers, and salts of isomers; or any compound, mixture, or preparation which contains any quantity of any of the substances referred to in this paragraph.

Legal Definition of Cocaine

Schedules III, IV, V

–All have legitimate medical uses

–Lower potential for abuse

May contain mixtures of higher scheduled drugs

–Examples

Tylenol with codeine

Some barbiturate mixtures

–Schedule V contains drugs that require prescription and are not listed elsewhere

Federal Drug Schedules

Naturally occurring – Marihuana

– Peyote

– Psilocybin

– Opium

Extracted from plant –Cocaine –Morphine –Codeine – Lysergic acid

Classification of Illicit Drugs by Source

Synthesized from naturally occurring substance – Heroin

– LSD

Totally synthetic – Amphetamines

– Barbiturates

– PCP

– Phentanyl

Classification of Illicit Drugs by Source

Stimulants

Depressants

Narcotics

Hallucinogens

Classification of Drugs by Major Effects

The “caines: –Cocaine Flake Crack

– Lidocaine –Procaine

The amphetamines –Methamphetamine Speed Ice

–Amphetamine

Ecstasy – methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)

Stimulants

coca leaves, except coca leaves and extracts of coca leaves from which cocaine, ecgonine, and derivatives of ecgonine or their salts have been removed; cocaine, its salts, optical and geometric isomers, and salts of isomers; ecgonine, its derivatives, their salts, isomers, and salts of isomers; or any compound, mixture, or preparation which contains any quantity of any of the substances referred to in this paragraph.

Legal definition of cocaine

Extracted from erythoxylon coca plant that grows only in Andes Mountains in South America

Cocaine free base usually converted to cocaine hydrochloride (flake) and shipped to US where it is diluted and sold and snorted

Mostly today, reconverted to free base as “crack” and smoked

Derivation of Cocaine

Coca leaves chewed for thousands of years by farmers in SA who mixed it bits of sea shell. Gave them increased stamina and alertness

Prior to 1900, coca leaves put in elixirs in US and drank to cure what ails ya.

Brief History of Cocaine

1915 Harrison Act – cocaine had to be removed. Coca leaves left in drink. Caffeine added as stimulant Became Coca Cola

Popularity increased through prohibition

“I get no kicks from cocaine (champagne)

History (cont)

Cocaine Flake

Packets of Cocaine

Cocaine Smuggling

Crack Cocaine

Amphetamine

History, Effects, Manufacture

1

a-methylphenethylamine

Amphetamine

2

Schedule II controlled substance

Still (cautiously) prescribed for short-term legitimate medical uses

Street amphetamine therefore can be either diverted from legitimate sources or clandestinely manufactured

Manufacture takes place mostly within the U.S., but government controls on some precursors may necessitate occasional import (from Mexico, western Europe)

Amphetamine

Classified as a stimulant; “upper”

Street names: Speed, Whites, Bennies, Black Beauties 3

Tends to increase alertness, physical activity, energy; elevates mood, reduces appetite, and prevents sleep

Amphetamine

2

Short term: after the high wears off, users can feel tired, lethargic, irritable, restless, anxious; high doses can cause delirium, paranoia, and hallucinations 4

Long term: vascular damage, heart failure, paranoid psychosis characterized by picking at the skin and auditory and/or visual hallucinations5, high blood pressure, and in women, amenorrhea 4

Amphetamine: The Bad News

1932: first marketed as “Benzedrine” over-the-counter, for congestion

1937: tablets prescribed for narcolepsy, ADHD

WWII: distributed to soldiers to improve energy, alertness; post-war addiction problems ensued

50s/60s: used medically to combat depression and facilitate weight loss 4

1970: U.S. Drug Abuse Regulation and Control Act criminalizes non-prescription possession

2

Amphetamine: History

Barbaturic acid derivatives

– Phenobarbital

– Pentobarbital

Benzodiazepines

–Valium

– Librium

Major tranquilizers

Others

Depressants

Main effect is CNS depressant

Potent analgesics

Opium

– Morphine

Heroin

– Codeine

Synthetic narcotics – Methadone

– Oxycodone

– Hydrocodone

– Meperidine - Demerol

– Phentanyl - china white

Narcotics

Opium Poppy

Heroin

Heroin Smuggling

Marihuana

LSD - lysergic acid diethylamide

PCP - phenyl cyclohexyl piperidine

Mescaline (peyote cactus)

Psilocybin (psilocybe mushrooms)

Methcathinone (Khat)

GHB

Hallucinogens

The term "marihuana" means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin extracted from any part of such plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such plant, its seeds or resin. Such term does not include the mature stalks of such plant, fiber produced from such stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of such plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such mature stalks (except the resin extracted there from), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of such plant which is incapable of germination.

Legal Definition of Marihuana

Marijuana Plant Material

Marihuana can be extracted with a solvent such as methyl alcohol

Depending upon amount of plant material in extract, product can be hash oil or hashish, a solid, cake-like material that is packaged in bricks

Both hash and hash oil are smoked

Preparations of Marihuana

Hashish

Marijuana Paraphernalia

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide

Derived from Lysergic acid, which is naturally occurring in fungus that attacks grain (St. Elmo’s Fire)

Extremely powerful and long lasting hallucinogen

– 12 hours

– 50 micrograms

LSD

Blotter Acid

Blotter Acid

LSD “Mr. Natural”

Naturally occurring substance

Mild, relatively short acting hallucinogen

Found in Peyote Cactus which grows in SW part of US

Used for many years by Native American Church in religious rituals

Mescaline

Peyote Cactus

Naturally occurring substance found in around 15 varieties of mushrooms that are native to US

Mushrooms are dried and eaten

Relatively short acting, mild hallucinogen

Psilocybin

Psilocybin Mushrooms

Tablets and Capsules

Smuggling of Capsules

Homemade laboratories

Usually make methamphetamine or PCP

Very messy and unsafe

If no drug made, defendant can be charged with attempted manufacture

Clandestine Laboratories

Clandestine Methamphetamine Lab

Messy Clandestine Lab

Solvents Used In Clandestine Labs

Methamphetamine Clandestine Laboratories

Ice

Crystal or crystal-meth

Crank

Speed

Shabu

Fire

Croak

Glass

Batu

Chalk

Zip

Common Street Names

Materials:

Iodine (can buy at pharmacy)

Decongestant tablets (Sudafed, Sinustop) containing 60 mg pseudoephedrine HCl

Road flares (can purchase at hardware store)

Drain cleaner containing H2SO4

White distilled vinegar

Red Devil Lye (can purchase at hardware store)

Spray can of brake cleaner containing 1,1,1-trichloroethylene or trichloroethane

Toluene (in place of brake cleaner)

Ether/acetone with HCl or HCl gas

Methods:

1. Purify Pseudoephedrine

2. Prepare red phosphorous (flammable/explosive solid)

3. Prepare I/HI solution (unless have an iodine tincture)

4. Combine pseudoephedrine with I/HI solution

5. Reaction

6. Extraction and Purification

Clandestine Manufacture of Methamphetamine Using Pseudoephedrine/Ephedrine (Red Phosphorus method)

iodopsuedoephedrine pseudoephedrine

HI/Red P

Phosphine gas

Through careless heating

1) Lye

2) Brake cleaner

3) Remove

bottom layer

4) Add vinegar

5) Rinse with

ether/acetone/

HCl

+ +

Methamphetamine

Red Phosphorous Method

“Nazi Dope” method

Lithium and ammonia

pseudoephedrine

+ -

methamphetamine

Clandestine Laboratories

Clandestine Laboratories-Mexico

Analysis of Drugs

Tests proceed from general to specific

Usually begins with color (spot) test

Separation done next if needed

Quantitative analysis may be done along with separation (if GC or HPLC)

Confirmation done last – GC-MS

– IR

Analytical Protocols

There are spot tests for some common drugs

– Marihuana – Duquenois-Levine (purple)

– Cocaine – Ruybal (turquoise)

– Opiates – Marquis (purple)

– Amphetamines – Marquis (orange)

Can be used for probable cause

Spot tests

Field Test Kits

Thin layer chromatography

Gas chromatography - quantitation

Liquid chromatography - quantitation

Separation and Isolation of Drugs

Gas Chromatography of Drugs

Fourier transform IR

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GCMS)

Confirmation

Mass Spectrum of Heroin and Cocaine

Base peak -------- Parent peak

Base peak ----

Parent peak -----

Heroin

Cocaine

FTIR of Cocaine

Cocaine Trafficking