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| EDI Newsletter | January 2008 | |
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The DRUGCHECK® Drug of Abuse Test yields a positive result when the concentration of THC-COOH in urine exceeds 50 ng/mL. This is the suggested screening cut-off for positive specimens set by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA, USA). STREET TERMS for marijuana include pot, weed, grass, bud, dope and hydro. SHORT TERM EFFECTS of marijuana use include impaired short-term memory, impaired concentration, attention, and judgment; impaired coordination and balance, increased heart rate, blood shot or red eyes, dry mouth and increased appetite (the "munchies"). Additional Information from NIDA: * Within a few minutes after inhaling marijuana smoke, an individual's heart begins beating more rapidly, the bronchial passages relax and become enlarged, and blood vessels in the eyes expand, making the eyes look red. The heart rate, normally 70 to 80 beats per minute, may increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute or, in some cases, even double. This effect can be greater if other drugs are taken with marijuana.
Products used to test for THC
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Marajuana (THC) Marijuana is the most widely used illegal substance in the world today. Its use is also the most controversial. With legalization efforts underway, it is important to have the facts. Marijuana is made from the plant cannabis sativa, a plant that grows wild (and is also cultivated indoors and out) throughout many regions. Most of the marijuana used in the United States comes from sources in the U.S., Mexico ("Mexican Red/Brown"), and Canada ("BC Bud"). Marijuana consists of the buds, leaves, and resin of the cannabis plant. The stalks and sterilized seeds are considered "hemp." The plant, cannabis sativa, contains chemicals called "cannabinoids." THC (delta-9-tetrhydrocannabinol) is the cannabinoid believed to be responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis. THC can be found in all parts of the cannabis plant, including hemp. This is why hemp is regulated carefully--some hemp products such as clothing, rope, yarn, lotion and soap are legal products because they do not cause THC to enter the human body. "While most of the THC in cannabis plants is concentrated in the marijuana, all parts of the plant, including hemp, have been found to contain THC. The existence of THC in hemp is significant because THC, like marijuana, is a schedule I controlled substance." Medical Marijuana Synthetic THC: Medical Marijuana already exists. "There are no FDA-approved medications that are smoked. For one thing, smoking is generally a poor way to deliver medicine. It is difficult to administer safe, regulated dosages of medicines in smoked form. Secondly, the harmful chemicals and carcinogens that are byproducts of smoking create entirely new health problems. There are four times the level of tar in a marijuana cigarette, for example, than in a tobacco cigarette." "Smoking marijuana may increase the risk of cancer more than smoking tobacco. Marijuana smoke contains 50% to 70% more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke. It also produces high levels of an enzyme that converts certain hydrocarbons into their carcinogenic form--levels that may accelerate the changes that ultimately produce malignant cells." (Source: NIDA) "It has been estimated that smoking a cannabis cigarette (containing only herbal cannabis) results in an approximately five-fold greater increase in carboxyhaemoglobin concentration, a three-fold greater increase in the amount of tar inhaled, and a retention in the respiratory tract of one third more tar than smoking a tobacco cigarette." In May 2006, a study was published by UCLA that disputes the claims that marijuana causes lung cancer. The majority of marijuana is smoked, although some users ingest it orally (added to brownies, cookies, etc.). Marijuana is usually smoked in the Whats New DTS Screening Services has become part of Express Diagnostics Int'l (EDI). EDI is the maker of DrugCheck® and Express Check®. To read more click here. Please join us in welcoming our new sales support specialist Casey Collins. Casey can be reached directly at (507) 526-2982 or via email casey@drugcheck.com. Orders To place orders please call our offices on either of the following numbers
You can fax orders to:
or you can email me directly on mark@drugcheck.com
Mark Cotter
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"A pharmaceutical product, Marinol, is widely available through prescription. It comes in the form of a pill and is also being studied by researchers for suitability via other delivery methods, such as an inhaler or patch. The active ingredient of Marinol is synthetic THC, which has been found to relieve the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy for cancer patients and to assist with loss of appetite with AIDS patients. Another product, Cesamet, which is similar to Marinol, is to be released in the U.S. in June of 2006." 
form of loosely rolled cigarettes called "joints," hollowed out commercial cigars called "blunts," smoked in pipes or bongs. Joints and blunts are sometimes laced with a number of adulterants including PCP, cocaine and embalming fluid (a chemical traditionally used to preserve dead bodies)--resulting in a wide range of effects.
