San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin released a spreadsheet of 822 criminal cases that may be impacted by the recent arrest of a veteran forensic analyst with the Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME). However, the DA’s office estimates that is only a third of the cases.
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LightLab 3 Cannabis Analyzer, Law Enforcement Version, is specifically designed to support rapid presumptive and quantitative cannabis analysis by non-technical personnel in a non-laboratory setting.
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In a new study, Scripps Research scientists have devised a way to deactivate designer drugs after they've been administered—offering a potential path for treating addiction and overdose.
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Kentucky State Police Forensic Laboratories were recently recognized by OSAC for voluntarily adopting rigorous standards in the analysis of seized drugs.
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The first event, Current Trends in Seized Drug Analysis, is a free, weeklong program addressing cannabis, global trends and challenges of novel psychoactive substances (designer drugs), new methods for drug screening and identification, and portable methods for on-site drug identification.
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This new study will be more challenging for labs because it involves plant material rather than oils. Plant-based measurements are more difficult because the compounds are bound up in plant fibers.
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A landmark study on how cannabis affects driving ability has shown that cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabis component now widely used for medical purposes, does not impair driving, while moderate amounts of the main intoxicating component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) produce mild driving impairment lasting up to four hours.
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Philadelphia has a “zombie drug” problem, and experts are concerned it is going to start rapidly spreading to other parts of the U.S.—just as the drug infiltrated the City of Brotherly Love from Puerto Rico about 5 years ago.
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Police in Oregon can no longer arrest someone for possession of small amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, LSD, oxycodone and other drugs as a ballot measure that decriminalized them took effect on Monday.
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Needle-exchange programs in cities can provide vital information about intravenous (IV) drug use, as well as more comprehensive opioid monitoring and real-time surveillance of emerging trends and novel psychoactive substances (NPS), according to the preliminary results of such a program in D.C.
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It was determined the arrestee had busted up several bags of white powder that were previously hidden on her person.
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While investigators found that trends in heroin, cocaine and fentanyl seizures were not affected by the pandemic, provisional overdose death data show that the increased drug mortality seen in 2019 rose further through the first half of 2020.
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Researchers have integrated two independent, validated drug-testing techniques—mass spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy—onto a single platform prototype for fast and accurate analysis of seized substances.
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We don't intentionally neglect our self-care, but multitasking becomes a routine that can lead to burnout among forensic scientists. Stress has become normalized for the forensic science community, and it's compromising the mental and physical health of women who have a difficult time saying no.
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A former coroner’s analyst in San Francisco has been charged with stealing methamphetamine collected at death scene investigations, authorities said last week.
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