Exam

Question 1

Stages used to identify a drug of abuse

Answer 1

1 - physical description
2 - sampling
3 - Analysis I
4 - Extraction
5 - Analyis II
6 - quantification

Question 2

Physical description

Answer 2

• colour and consistency of powders
• microscopic examination of plant material
• colour, consistency and logos on tablets
• weight

Question 3

Sampling

Answer 3

A suitable sample of the drug is removed for analysis. Depends if it’s trace or bulk sample as need enough for re analysis.
Powder - cone and quartering method

Question 4

Analysis I

Answer 4

Presumptive tests. May be skipped for trace samples.
Include colour tests, microcrystalline tests and TLC.

Question 5

Extraction

Answer 5

Extract the drug of interest from any interfering compounds.
Used as drugs are rarely encounted in a pure form.

Question 6

Analysis II

Answer 6

Confirmatory tests. Include HPLC, GC and GC-MS. Provides evidence beyond reasonable doubt.

Question 7

Quantification

Answer 7

Provides details of how much is present which is important for sentencings

Question 8

Colour tests

Answer 8

Marquis - purple for opium Derivates, orange/brown for amphetamines and methamphetamine.
Scott test - blue pink blue for cocaine.
Van Urk - blue/purple for LSD.
Dillie-Koppanyi - violet blue for barbiturates.

Question 9

Cocaine classification and identification

Answer 9

Class A schedule II drug.
Analysis I - Scott test (B,P,B)
Analysis II - GC-MS / HPLC

Question 10

Forms of cocaine

Answer 10

Coca leaves
Coca paste
Powder cocaine
Freebase cocaine
Crack cocaine

Question 11

Production of cocaine

Answer 11

Solvent extraction
Coca leaves + Calcium carbonate (base) + kerosene (solvent) = coca paste (30% cocaine, 10% ecgonine).
- addition of sulfuric acid

Question 12

Purification of cocaine

Answer 12

Coca paste + sulphuric acid + potassium permanganate = cocaine base

Question 13

Production of powder cocaine

Answer 13

Cocaine + acetone + hydrochloride acid = cocaine hydrochloride

Question 14

Opioids area of production

Answer 14

1 - Southeast Asia
2 - southwest Asia
3 - Central America
4 - South America

Question 15

Production of opium

Answer 15

Opium is collected from the latex in poppies.
Raw opium added to water and boiled.
Solution is filtered and reheated producing a brown paste.
Paste is dried.

Question 16

Production of morphine

Answer 16

Raw opium is added to water, boiled and dissolved.
Calcium hydroxide is added forming calcium morphinate
Solution is cooled and filtered.
Solution is reheated and ammonium chloride is added to adjust pH to 9
Solution then cooled and the morphine base is filtered off and dried producing a coffee coloured powder.

Question 17

Purification of morphine

Answer 17

Dissolved in hydrochloric acid by boiling with charcoal and then filtered.
This process is repeated many times and solution is then cooled.

Question 18

Heroin, opium and morphine analysis and classification.

Answer 18

Marquis colour test - purple
GC-MS / HPLC
Class A.
Opium = schedule I
Morphine = schedule II

Question 19

Ecstacy (MDMA) classification and analysis

Answer 19

Class A, Schedule I
Marquis colour test - purple/black
GC-MS / HPLC

Question 20

Synthesis of Ecstacy/ MDMA

Answer 20

Safrole = Isosafrole (in presence of sodium hydroxide)
Isosafrole = MDP-2-P
MDP-2-P = Ecstacy (through process of reductive amination)

Question 21

A second / alternative way to synthesise Ecstacy

Answer 21

MDA is heated with formic acid in benzene and purified using dichloromethane and Hydrochloric acid.

Question 22

Classification and analysis of LSD

Answer 22

Class A, Schedule I drug.
Van Urk colour test- blue/purple

Question 23

Manufacture of LSD

Answer 23

Use Lysergic acid made from ergot amine tartrate to Lysergic trifluroacetic anhydride with the presence of trifluoroacetic anhydride then to LSD in the presence of HN(C2H5)2

Question 24

Synthesis of amphetamine

Answer 24

Leuckart reaction
Phenyl-2-propanone + ammonium formate = Amphetamine (in presence of HCL)

Question 25

Analysis and classification of amphetamine

Answer 25

Marquis colour test - orange-brown
GC-MS / HPLC
Schedule II, class B.

Question 26

Manufacture of PCP

Answer 26

Piperidine + cylcohexanone = PCC (in presence of KCN and sodium sulfite) to PCP (in presence of phenylmagnesium bromide)

Question 27

Classification of PCP

Answer 27

Class A, Schedule II

Question 28

Microcrystalline tests

Answer 28

Drop of chemical reagent is added to the drug on a microscope slide and the size and shape of crystals are highly characteristic.

Question 29

Marquis colour test

Answer 29

2% formaldehyde in sulphuric acid

Question 30

Scott test

Answer 30

Turns blue when solution A is added (2% cobalt thiocyanate in water and glycerine).
Turns pink once solution B is added (hydrochloric acid)
Blue colour reappears in chloroform layer when solution c is added (chloroform)

Question 31

Synthesis of amphetamine by clandestine labs

Answer 31

React a mixture of phenyl-2-propanone, ethanol, ammonia, aluminium and mercuric chloride.