Marijuana: the Harmful Impacts and the Testing Methods

UsaDrugTest — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:10:38 +0000

Marijuana is one of the commonly used illegal drugs. Marijuana is made from the plant called Cannabis sativa. There is a chemical called “delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol” or “THC” in the drug. This THC is the chemical that makes the person using the drug to feel high. The consumption of marijuana is usually done through smoking.

Impacts of marijuana: Marijuana has a very negative impact on the human beings. It has its effect on the human beings both physically and mentally.

Effects on brain

· Marijuana is a very powerful drug that initially causes pleasure. Its consumption then affects the brain cells that control the thinking, emotions, mood and the memory. The drug even has its effects on the pituitary gland and thereby regulates hunger, thirst and the release of sexual hormones.

· The drug has its effect on the synapses i.e. the brain connections and there by cause the person to get addicted to the drug.

· Long term use of the drug can even cause the brain to stop producing the chemicals which will be responsible for making the person feel good and then the person gets chemically addicted to the drug.

The types of tests for marijuana: There are different types of tests for detecting consumption of marijuana in the human body. They are

· Hair testing: The detection of marijuana consumption can be done by testing the hair. At the roots of the hair, it shows the symptoms of marijuana consumption. The marijuana can be detected from through the hair test even after fifty to ninety days.

· Blood testing: The blood test is a costly test for detecting the marijuana consumption which could be a long procedure which may last for about four to six days.

· Saliva drug testing: This method is a short-term procedure that can detect the consumption of marijuana that has been used recently. Detection of marijuana can be detected in a person’s saliva 1 hour after ingestion, up to 14 hours.

· Urine drug testing: The detection of the marijuana consumption by testing the urine sample is one of the inexpensive ways of detecting the presence of marijuana in the human body. Marijuana can be detected even after five to six days of consumption through the urine test.

Comparison of Hair Drug Testing With Saliva Drug Testing

UsaDrugTest — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:02:24 +0000

An examination of specimen to detect specific drug presence or to determine prior drug abuse is known as drug test. Several methods have been developed to trace drug presence. Among those Hair and Saliva drug testing methods have emerged rapidly and accepted widely throughout the world.

Characteristics Of Hair Drug Testing And Saliva Drug Testing

Hair drug testing method is usually preferred in forensic studies due to its highly accurate results and many organizations use hair drug testing to find drug abuse for longer periods. Saliva drug testing is used in businesses, schools and in sports as results can be obtained immediately and due to its portability.

Hair drug testing and Saliva drug testing methods, both are donor friendly and difficult to adulterate. However, they have specific characteristics in respect of applications of usage.

• Easiness:

- The procedure followed to test drug presence using hair drug testing is easy. It is required to collect some hair samples and to send to a lab for testing.

- Saliva drug testing is easy to use and test can be conducted at the site of specimen collection.

• Duration For Drug Detection:

- Using Hair Drug Testing method, drug presence can be detected even after 90 days from the time of abuse. This test is widely accepted due to its effectiveness in results.

- Saliva drug testing is considered as an effective method to determine recent drug abuse and the duration of detection is 1-2 days from the time of abuse. Effectiveness of the results in saliva drug testing is based on the collection of the specimen.

• Adulteration:

- Adulteration of test samples in hair drug testing is highly impossible.

- In saliva drug testing, it is harder to adulterate but it is good to collect the specimen under the supervision for better results.

• Detects Major Drugs:

- Five major drugs abuse can be detected using hair drug testing using enzyme-immunoassay method.

- Seven major drugs can be detected using saliva drug testing, and using GC/MS method.

• Easy And Convenient:

- Hair drug testing technique is used at laboratories to detect drug presence from the test samples. Performing this test is easy, and convenient for those who know how to perform.

- Saliva drug testing is easy, and convenient to perform the test. This technique is more sensitive than any other drug testing method.

• Accuracy Of Results:

- Hair drug testing results are 100% accurate and these results are used as evidence for drug abuse.

- Accuracy of results in saliva drug testing is 95-98% and often performed in post accident situations.

• Skills Required For Conducting The Test:

- To perform a hair drug test, the person may need relevant knowledge to conduct the test. This test is usually conducted in highly equipped labs.

- Saliva drug testing can be performed by anyone, and at both home and lab.

This information gives characteristics of Hair drug testing and Saliva drug testing to understand the specific applications and to use both the testing methods effectively.

usa drug test » Saliva Testing

Marijuana: the Harmful Impacts and the Testing Methods

Comparison of Hair Drug Testing With Saliva Drug Testing