Controlled Substances and Federal Schedules

• Drugs have been prevalent in the U.S. for hundreds of years.
• Cocaine was once believed to cure everything and was added to Coke.
• The Harrison Narcotics Act in 1909, was the first law that regulated opiates and coca products.
• A controlled substance is a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession, or use is regulated by a government.

Federal Schedules

• Controlled substances are classified into 5 schedules or groups.
• Schedule I drugs have no medical use and a high potential for abuse.
  • Examples are heroin, LSD, and marijuana.
• Schedule II drugs have some medicinal use but a high potential for abuse.
  • Examples are cocaine, methamphetamine, Vicodin, oxycodone, and Ritalin.
• Schedule III drugs have medicinal use and moderate potential for abuse.
  • Examples are Tylenol with codeine, testosterone, and steroids.
• Schedule IV drugs have medicinal use and low potential for abuse.
  • Examples are Xanax, Valium, and Ambien.
• Schedule V drugs have medicinal use and extremely low potential for abuse.
  • Examples are Robitussin and Lyrica.

Categories of Controlled Substances

• There are 5 main categories for controlled substances.
• Hallucinogens alter reality.
  • Examples include LSD, peyote, PCP, mushrooms, and marijuana.
• Narcotics dull the senses, relieve pain, and belong to the opioid family.
  • Examples include heroin, Oxycontin, Vicodin, codeine, methadone, and fentanyl.
• Stimulants increase the Central Nervous System.
  • Examples include cocaine methamphetamine, Adderall, and Ritalin.
• Depressants slow down the Central Nervous System.
  • Examples include Heroin, Xanax, Valium, and barbiturates.
• Anabolic steroids enhance performance.

Texas Penalty Groups

• Texas categorizes drugs by name into multiple penalty groups.
• Penalty Group 1 includes methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine.
• Penalty Group 1A includes LSD.
• Penalty Group 1B includes fentanyl.
• Penalty Group 2 includes THC oil, ecstasy, and PCP.
• Penalty Group 2A includes benzothiazole.
• Penalty Group 3 includes tramadol.
• Penalty Group 4 includes codeine and marijuana.

Drug Paraphernalia

• Possession of drug paraphernalia is illegal in Texas.
• Common examples of drug paraphernalia include:
  • Scale or balance
  • Grinder
  • Bags or envelopes
  • Pipe
  • Rolling papers
  • Spoon
  • Needle

Marijuana

• Marijuana is listed in the Health & Safety Code as Marihuana.
• Marijuana is a hallucinogenic drug derived from the Cannabis plant extract THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).
• Some states now allow recreational use, but it is still illegal federally and in Texas.
• Marijuana effects include reddening of the eyes, decreased short-term memory, increased appetite, and impaired motor skills.

Marijuana Concentrates

• Concentrates are created and extracted from the cannabis plant and are much more potent than the flower alone.
• Commonly seen with students vaping are live resin, shatter wax, crumble wax, honeycomb wax, budder or badder, pull and snap, and THC oil.
• A dab is a common name used to categorize many cannabis concentrates that require a dab or oil rig to smoke it.

THC, Juuls, Vaping

• In Texas, possession of THC is a felony, while possession of marijuana is a misdemeanor.
• On Sept 1, 2019, Texas has a new law allowing possession of CBD oil with 0.3% THC content.
• There has been a recent surge of THC products, especially vaping (e-cigarettes) with THC oil, among teens.

Methamphetamine

• Meth is a strong central nervous system stimulant.
• It is highly addicting and carries the highest relapse rate.
• Effects of methamphetamine include:
  • Loss of appetite
  • Dilated pupils
  • Hyperactivity
  • Twitching, muscle tremors
  • Paleness
  • Increased libido

Signs of Meth Use

• Open sores from picking
  • A common symptom is "cranks" or thinking bugs are crawling on the skin
• Loss of hair from picking
• Loss of teeth, also known as "meth mouth."
• Extreme weight loss

Rising Opioid Drug Epidemic

• Drug overdoses are killing people at twice the rate of firearm and motor vehicle accidents.
• From 2015 to 2016, overdoses rose 21% from the previous year.
• In 2016, 64,070 people overdosed and died.
• Ohio experiences 11 overdose deaths per day.
• Opioid overdoses are the leading cause of death for people under 50.

Heroin

• Heroin comes from the poppy plant native to Asia.
• Heroin is a central nervous system depressant that constricts the pupils.
• It gives a euphoria feeling and the first high is the best.
• It is extremely addicting and tolerance is built up very quickly.
• Heroin color ranges from white to brown to black tar.

Fentanyl

• Fentanyl is an opioid prescribed for pain relief and lasts 1 to 2 hours.
• Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin.
• Fentanyl effects include:
  • Relaxation
  • Euphoria
  • Pain relief
  • Sedation
  • Drowsiness
  • Nausea

Cocaine

• Cocaine is an extremely addicting central nervous system stimulant.
• It is derived from coca leaves native to South America.
• Cocaine takes the form of a white powder and can be injected or snorted.
• Tolerance builds rapidly, leading to overdoses as it takes more and more to get the same euphoria feeling.
• Cocaine effects include:
  • High temperature and blood pressure and increased heart rate
  • Dilated pupils
  • Insomnia
  • Loss of appetite

Crack Cocaine

• Crack cocaine is a purer form of cocaine with a more intense shorter high.
• The effects of crack cocaine hit the bain in 8 seconds
• It is made by taking cocaine powder, adding baking soda, then heating it.
• Multiple hits in a short binge leads to paranoia hallucinating, and bizarre behavior.

Forensic Drug Analysis

• Street drugs are unique in that they have varying compositions and may be sold as one type of drug but be another substance.
• There are two types of tests for drugs are:
  • Presumptive
    • Used for quick screening to determine class of drugs
    • A color test is positive/negative
  • May have false negatives and false positives
  • Confirmatory or Definitive Test
    • Used to identify exact drugs present in sample
    • Takes much longer and costs more

Color Tests

• Drugs will change colors depending on the drug and their reactant during chemical reactions.
• Police officers use color tests in the field as a presumptive test for identification of the class of drug.
• Marquis: Heroin turns purple and methamphetamine turns orange-brown.
• Duquenois-Levine: Marijuana turns purple
• Van Urk: LSD turns blue-purple
• Scott Test: Cocaine turns blue

Microcrystalline Tests

• Another quick test to determine the identity of drugs is a microcrystalline test
• A small amount of a drug is placed on a microscopic slide.
• A drop of a chemical reagent is what's added.
• A precipitate forms from the chemical reaction.
• Each precipitate forms a crystal solid, which is unique to the drug.
• A scientist must interpret the results.

Chromatography

• Chromatography is a test which separates components in a mixture.
• Drugs are commonly mixed with other substances to dilute the product to sell more of it.
• There are two types of chromatography tests: gas and thin layer.
• In basic terms, the components of a mixture will separate based on their affinity to the substance.
• There will be different lines for different drugs.

Spectrophotometry

• Spectrophotometry is the most accurate test to identify drugs
• A spectrophotometry test will analyze the wavelengths absorbed by the substance.
• Each chemical compound will absorb different wavelengths of light.
• The two specific wavelength ranges tested are ultraviolet and infrared.
  • Infrared is more accurate of the two.
• Scientists have taken known drugs samples and mapped out the patterns in spectrophotometry to compare to unknown samples.