SUBJECT FORENSIC SCIENCE Paper No. and Title PAPER No. 9: Drug of Abuse MODULE No. 15: Common Hallucinogens: Cannabis, LSD Module No. and Title & Psilocybin Module Tag FSC_P9_M15 FORENSIC SCIENCE PAPER No. 9: Drug of Abuse MODULE No. 15: Common Hallucinogens: Cannabis, LSD & Psilocybin TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Learning Outcomes 2. Introduction 3. Cannabis 4. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 5. Psilocybin 6. Summary FORENSIC SCIENCE PAPER No. 9: Drug of Abuse MODULE No. 15: Common Hallucinogens: Cannabis, LSD & Psilocybin 1. Learning Outcomes After studying this module, you will be able to Significance of Cannabis, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) and Psilocybin as common Hallucinogens Their Mode of actions and mechanism Screening Tests of Cannabis, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) and Psilocybin 2. Introduction Hallucinogens (also called psychedelics or psychotomimetic agents) are substances that induce changes in thought, perception, and mood, without causing major disturbances in the autonomic nervous system. Perceptual alterations can take the form of illusions, synaesthesias, or hallucinations. An illusion is the result of misinterpretation of an actual experience, while synaesthesias are sensory misperceptions (e.g. hearing colour or seeing sounds). Both require external stimuli for their institution. Hallucinations differ from them in this important respect, since they are perceptual alterations without any external stimulation whatsoever. Hallucinations may be visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, or tactile in nature. Most hallucinogens induce visual or auditory hallucinations; a few cause tactile or olfactory manifestations. While a number of therapeutic drugs can cause hallucinations in overdose, they are not classified as hallucinogens. A true hallucinogen is a drug that induces hallucinations in small doses (sometimes, as in the case of LSD, in microgram doses). Most genuine hallucinogens cause vivid visual hallucinations, while the other types of hallucinations are relatively uncommon. FORENSIC SCIENCE PAPER No. 9: Drug of Abuse MODULE No. 15: Common Hallucinogens: Cannabis, LSD & Psilocybin 3. Cannabis Herbal cannabis (marijuana) means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa; but excludes the seeds and mature woody stalk material. The resin of the plant occurs mainly in the flowering area, the leaves and the stem, particularly at the top of the plant. The greatest amount of resin is found in the following part. Female plants are selected for illicit cannabis production. The leaves of cannabis sativa are compound and consist of 5 to 11 leaflets, each characteristically hair covered, veined and with serrated edges. Under microscope examination features characteristic for cannabis may be seen for herbal cannabis and resin: cystolithic hair and glandular hair. Cystolithic hair contains a deposit of calcium carbonate at their base. These hairs are mostly single cell. Glandular hairs (trichome) are most important since they contain and secrete the resin. They are short and may be unicellular or multicellular. The larger glandular hair has a multicellular stalk with heads that contain 8 to 16 cells. The active source is contained in its resin. The principle constituents of the resin are Cannabinol, which has no action. Cannabidiol is also inert, but on exposure to heat, it is partly converted to the very isomeric Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Slang names: Pot, Grass, Weed, Hash, Mary jone, Bhang etc. COMPONENTS OF CANNABIS: 1) Bhang: It is prepared from the dried leaves and fruit shoots. It is mildest and contains 15% of active principle. Fresh bhang is highly intoxicating and narcotic. 2) Majoon: It is a sweet, prepared with bhang. It increases appetite and sexual desire. FORENSIC SCIENCE PAPER No. 9: Drug of Abuse MODULE No. 15: Common Hallucinogens: Cannabis, LSD & Psilocybin 3) Ganja: It is prepared from the flower tops of the female plant. It has a rusty green colour and a characteristic odour. It contains 15 to 25% active principal. Ganja is also known as marijuana. Cannabis is also known as reefer or joint. 4) Charas or Hashish It is the resin exuding from the leaves and stems of the plant. It contains 25% to 40% active components It is dark green or brown in colour. The main psychoactive compound in cannabis or cannabis resin is 9tetrahydrocannabinol (9THC). Cannabinol (CBN) and Cannabidiol (CBD) are among the other main components. Cannabinol is the major breakdown product of 9THC and Cannabidiol is a precursor to 9THC. FORENSIC SCIENCE PAPER No. 9: Drug of Abuse MODULE No. 15: Common Hallucinogens: Cannabis, LSD & Psilocybin The interaction with the active components in cannabis is via specific components in cannabinoid receptor (CB1 receptor in brain, lung and kidney and CB2 receptors in the immune system and in hematopoietic cells). These receptors are members of the G- protein coupled receptor. Binding of THC to the receptor results in inhibition of acetylate cyclase and in calcium channel inhibition and K+ channel activation. MODE OF ACTION: Cannabis main component is THC which binds to and activates specific receptors, known as cannabinoid receptors. There are many of these receptors in parts of the brain that control memory, thought, concentration, time and depth perception and coordinated movement. By activating this receptor, THC interferes with their normal functioning. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS: Appears after administration of drug and last for 1 to 2 hours. In small dose- effects are slight, euphoria, passivity, heightening of subjective experience. With moderate dose- effects intensity of immediate memory function, lapses of attention and marked sensory distortions, is produced due to high dose effects. Symptoms after intoxication: a) Psychiatric Feeling of detachment Clarity, cleverness Disinhibition Depersonalization Euphoria Laughing Rapid changing emotions FORENSIC SCIENCE PAPER No. 9: Drug of Abuse MODULE No. 15: Common Hallucinogens: Cannabis, LSD & Psilocybin Thought process: irrelevant thoughts Feeling of periodical distress Speech changes b) Physical Slight nausea Increased appetite Heaviness and pressure in the head Dry mouth Ataxia FATAL DOSE: Charas : 2gm Ganja : 8gm Bhang : 10gm/kilo body weight THC : 30mg/kg FATAL PERIOD: Several days. FORENSIC SCIENCE PAPER No. 9: Drug of Abuse MODULE No. 15: Common Hallucinogens: Cannabis, LSD & Psilocybin TESTS FOR DETECTION OF CANNABIS: 1. FAST BLUE B SALT TEST a. Filter Paper Method- Preparation of reagent: Solid reagent : Dilute & mix Fast Blue B Salt with anhydrous Sodium Sulphate in the ratio of 1:100 Solution 1 : Petroleum ether Solution 2 : A 10% w/w aqueous solution of Sodium Bicarbonate Procedure: Two filter papers are folded to form fluted funnels and kept on each other. Small amount of suspected sample is placed into the corner of the upper funnel of the paper and added two drops of Solution 1. Allow the liquid to penetrate to the lower filter paper funnel. Discard the upper filter paper and dry the lower filter paper. Now add a very small amount of the solid Fast Blue B reagent to this lower paper and add two drops of Solution 2. A purple–red coloured stain on the filter paper indicates the presence of cannabis product. b. Test Tube method- Preparation of reagent: Solid reagent : Dilute & mix Fast Blue B salt with anhydrous Sodium Sulphate in the ratio of 2.5:100 Solution 1 : Chloroform Solution 2 : 0.1N aqueous Sodium Hydroxide solution FORENSIC SCIENCE PAPER No. 9: Drug of Abuse MODULE No. 15: Common Hallucinogens: Cannabis, LSD & Psilocybin Procedure: Small amount of suspected material is taken in a test tube; a very small amount of the solid reagent and 1 ml of solution 1 is added to it. Shake well for one minute and add 1 ml of solution 2. Shake the test tube for two minutes, and allow this test tube to stand for 2 minutes. A purple red colour in the lower layer of chloroform indicates the positive result of the presence of cannabis product. 2. DUQUENOIS-LEVINE TEST Preparation of reagent: 5 drops of Acetaldehyde and 0.4 gms of Vanillin are dissolved in 20 ml of 95% Ethanol. Procedure: Small amount of suspected material is taken in a test tube and shaken with 2 ml reagent for 1 minute, add 2 ml of conc. HCl and shake it well. Allowed it to stand for 10 minutes and then add 2 ml of chloroform. Appearance of violet colour in chloroform layer (lower layer) indicates the presence of cannabis. 3. ALTERNATE TEST Preparation of reagent: 5 drops of acetaldehyde and 0.4gms of vanillin are dissolved in 20 ml of 95% ethanol. Procedure: The sample is extracted with petroleum ether. Filtered and evaporated to dryness. Added 2 ml. of Duquenois reagent to dissolve the residue add 2ml. Conc. HCl. Shaken and kept for 10min. Transferred the solution into a test tube add 2ml. of Chloroform and shaken. Purple colour in the chloroform layer indicates the Tetrahydrocannabinol. FORENSIC SCIENCE PAPER No. 9: Drug of Abuse MODULE No. 15: Common Hallucinogens: Cannabis, LSD & Psilocybin TEST FOR DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN BHANG, GANJA AND CHARAS: Preparation of Reagent Reagent 1: p-Aminophenol (1 mg) in ethanol (10 ml) Reagent 2: Caustic potash (1 g) in distilled water (10 ml) Procedure: The suspected material of cannabis is extracted in ethanol. A drop of extract is taken in a cavity of a spot tile or in a micro tube, and 2 drops of chromogenic Reagent 1 is added and mixed thoroughly followed by addition of 2 drops of Reagent 2. Results: Bhang gives green colour; Ganja gives blue colour while Charas gives violet colour. 4. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a drug of hallucinogen group that causes hallucination. Abuser will imagine images hear sounds and experience sensations that look as if it is real but do not occur. Certain hallucinogens also create abrupt and random fluctuations in the temper of those who take them. FORENSIC SCIENCE PAPER No. 9: Drug of Abuse MODULE No. 15: Common Hallucinogens: Cannabis, LSD & Psilocybin LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), first formed in 1938, is a very potent hallucinogen.