What’s Inside - sirchie.com · In one instance, the users dissolved the opiate in alcohol (Vodka) and dropped the mixture either in their eye or up their nose. Buprenorphine/Naxolone

What’s Inside Volume 7 (December, 2013)

Suboxone® - Buprenorphine/Naxolone

Mollies – What are They and How Should I Field Test?

DEA Emergency Schedule and New Synthetic Cannabinoids

Krokodil – The Truth About a Horrible Substance

Analogue Law: Jim Carlson & Last Place on Earth (head shop)

Short Thoughts

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Suboxone® - Buprenorphine/NaxoloneIn the past number of months, we have witnessed the introduction of yet another synthetic opiate substance being abused on the streets. The latest is Buprenorphine/Naxolone which is commonly known by the trade names of: Suboxone®, Buprenex®, Butrans® or Subutex®. In the United States the most common brand name is Suboxone®.

These synthetic opiates are designed to treat opioid addiction or control moderate or chronic pain and were passed by the FDA for use in October 2002 as a Schedule III substance.

We’re accustomed to Methadone being used for opioid dependence, but the use of Suboxone® is new to many of us. To compare the two substances, research shows that Suboxone® is much more effective in controlling dependency. It also has a much longer duration which allows patients to be treated every 2-3 days rather than daily with Methadone. Suboxone® does have its limits as increasing dosage does not increase its effectiveness. With methadone, you can continue to increase the amount which will increase its effectiveness.

Suboxone® also affords patients a more convenient treatment method. You can give a patient a month’s dosage for ease of use, where methadone generally requires a visit to a clinic for daily dispensing. However, the greatest benefits of Suboxone® is the lower dependency patients have for the substance due to the additive Naxolone, making it easier for the patient to complete the treatment cycle without additional addictive effects. Methadone is very difficult for patients to be removed from and they tend to maintain their dependency much longer.

Originally buprenorphine was seen as a tablet, but in recent times it’s commonly found in a sublingual film form.

To abuse the substances we see three common methods:

Sublingually: Grind the tablet into very fine powder or place the strip or foil under the tongue and allow it to dissolve. To better understand these foils, compare them to the popular Listerine® breath strips that we would place under our tongue and simply allow to dissolve. cont. on next page

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New Sirchie 2014/15 Catalog Available!To request a print copy of Sirchie’s new 2014/15 catalog call us at 800-356-7311 or download a digital copy at http://www.sirchie.com/support/catalog-downloads.html.

Buccally: Tuck the same ground powder or strip/foil in your cheek or other mouth cavity and again allow it to dissolve.

Insufflated: Grind the tablet into fine powder or cut the foils into very small pieces. Moisten your finger with water and snort the droplets. Snort either the powder or strip/foil up a straw. Moisten your finger a second time and snort the droplets again to help dissolve the synthetic opiate.

In one instance, the users dissolved the opiate in alcohol (Vodka) and dropped the mixture either in their eye or up their nose.

Buprenorphine/Naxolone has a number of distinct side effects:• Abdominal or stomach pain• Constipation• Lack or loss of strength• Nausea• Pain• Trouble sleeping• Vomiting

Field Testing:Buprenorphine/Naxolone is a synthetic opiate which places field testing in the Special Opiates Reagent (#NARK20010 – pouch; #NAR10022 – tube). In the case of tablets, reduce a small amount of the tablet to powder and place directly in the test. For the foil/strips, cut a small corner 1/16 inch square and place in test. After breakage and agitation of the test, a Purple color will develop within 5 seconds. This presumptively identifies Buprenorphine.

The Special Opiates Reagent will presumptively identify not only Buprenorphine (Suboxone®, Subutex ®) but also all other forms of synthetic opiates like Oxycodone, Oxycontin®, Hydrocodone and Fentanyl.

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For information on Sirchie’s full line of

disguised surveillance vehicles contact us at:

1-800-545-7375 or

[email protected] information is available

online with a user name and password provided by our

Vehicle Division

Mollies – What are They and How Should I Field Test?The perception by both users and law enforcement of “mollies” is that this substance is 100% pure MDMA (Ecstasy). However, the reality, is that most “mollies” being seized around the country today consists of other specific synthetic stimulants or a combination of them.

The stimulants could be any of the following or a combination thereof:

• Amphetamines/Methamphetamine• MDMA (Ecstasy)• Letter Drugs (MDMA analogs)• 2C Substances (Phenethylamines)• N-BOMe (2C/Phenethylamine analogs)

In the case of Amphetamines, MDMA and some “letter drugs”, all of these substances could potentially be manufactured pharmaceutically, but most of them are manufactured in clandestine labs. All of the methamphetamine, new 2C substances (Phenethylamines) and N-BOMe’s that are being sold as mollies are also presumed to be manufactured in clandestine labs (clan-lab).

Amphetamines/Methamphetamine: These substances have the oldest history both pharmaceutically and in a clan- lab form. Amphetamines have been available for decades and methamphetamine since the mid-20th century. One of the slang expressions for Meth is–“Nazi dope”, which refers to WWII when the Germans supplied their troops with meth to stay awake longer.

Meth then moved into the P2P era (dangerous chemical reduction process) of “biker meth” when they manufactured clandestinely using this multi-step procedure. The Federal Government and DEA effectively eliminated this process in the United States when it placed all of the chemicals used in the methiod as well as P2P itself (phenyl-2-propanone) on its chemical watch list.

Not to be deterred, we then saw two new processes come into being in the 1980’s. Both of these were conversion methods using Ephedrine/Pseudoephedrine to produce meth. One called Red Phosphorus (Red P) the other Anhydrous Ammonia or Burch Reduction (Nazi dope). The Red P would allow clan operators to make any batch size depending on their cooking capabilities, while the Anhydrous method was for small batches or commonly referred to as “Beavis and Butthead” amounts.

cont. on next page

Methamphetamine Crystals

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Narcotics Field Test Instructor Training CoursesSIRCHIE offers instructor courses on the correct use of our field tests. After completing this course, officers will have the ability to train other officers in the proper usage and handling of our presumptive narcotics field tests. For more information on these classes, contact Jack Thorndike at (910) 690-0642 or [email protected].

When the Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO ’s) starting manufacturing meth, they used the Red P method exclusively since they wanted the capacity to make large batches. Recently, we’ve seen them also manufacturing the P2P method by bringing down old “biker cooks” to show them this old method.

Most recently, law enforcement across the country have seen the conversion to the “one pot” method. This is a slight variation on the anhydrous method and tends to be small batches of clan manufactured dope per cook.

MDMA (Ecstasy)MDMA came into being in the mid 80’s following Dr. Alexander Shulgin working on a pharmaceutical substance that could be used by the psychiatric industry. They could give their patients MDMA to allow them to release their inhibitions and express their suppressed thoughts. This substance was then abused at clubs and parties to release the serotonin in the brain to create a euphoric effect. This euphoric effect was the reason for the adoption of the expression “ecstasy” for MDMA.

Letter Drugs (MDMA analogs)Federal and State governments were quick to place MDMA on their Control Substance Act (CSA) as a Schedule I substance. Since MDMA is a fully synthetic substance, it is open to changing the formulation in very slight ways. If you add, subtract or change ingredients to the original formula, you effectively change the substance itself. These changed substances are referred to as analogs or “letter drugs”. They take on new formula designations like: MDA, MDEA, BDB, MBDB, Foxy, DXM and many other letter designations. The reason these changes were made was to simply exclude them from being charged as MDMA and a Schedule I substance. Some of these substances have subsequently been added to both the Federal and various State CSA’s, but some are still not registered in either location.

2C Substances (Phenethylamines)Dr. Shulgin didn’t stop with his development of MDMA. With the assistance of his wife Anne and a number of chemist friends, they continued the foray into the development of more substances. With their knowledge of MDMA, they used this substance as the base for the new formulations and crossed this known entity with LSD. Each time they “tweaked” the formulation, they changed the number/lettering sequence by progressively changing the last letter: 2C-B, 2C-C, 2C-D, etc. Their desire was to develop a substance that delivered a high between 6 and 12 hours, and fell into the desirable category of “Magical Half Dozen”. The common phenethylamines we see on the street today (2C-C, 2C-E and 2C-I) all fell into this mystical grouping. Dr. Shulgin’s working papers on the development of these substances were then placed into two publications: Pikhail – A Chemical Love Story and Tikhail – The Continuation.

Ecstasy Tablets

2C Tablets & Blotter

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N-BOMeAll of these substances are simply analogs of 2C substances. In October 2013, DEA registered their intent to place the three most common N-BOMe substances on emergency schedule as Schedule I substances:

25-B-NBOMe 25-C-NBOMe 25-I-NBOMe

On the street these substances are often referred to as “smiles”, “boom”, “c-boom” or simply “N-Bombs”.

Specific vs. Sequential TestingWhen field testing any substance, you have to make the decision of whether you have enough information from your “probable cause” to determine specifically what the substance is, or are you directed simply to a “mollie”. Seeing substances like Marijuana, Cocaine, Heroin, and in many instances Methamphetamine, you can head directly to the specific field test. However, knowing a “mollie” could be one of a number of specific substances or combination of them, you are much better served following a sequential testing system.

Mollies Reagent #NARK20032 – New ReagentTo answer this sequential requirement, we have introduced a new synthetic reagent designed to direct you to which specific field test to use when testing “mollies”. The chart listed below shows how you can take the initial color reaction:

cont. on next page

N-BOMe Powder

N-BOMe Blotter

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Black – (MDMA or Letter drugs) – directs you to the #NARK20015 MDMA Reagent

Orange sequencing to Brown within 12 seconds (AmphetaminesMethamphetamine) – directs you to the #NARK20015 Methamphetamine Reagent

Yellow/Green or Clear – (2C, MDPV, Methylone, N-BOMe) – directs you to the #NARK20029 2C Reagent

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1-800-545-7375 or



Vehicle Division

DEA Emergency Schedule and New Synthetic CannabinoidsIf we ever thought that the number of new synthetic cannabinoid formulations was going to stop or slow down, we were badly mistaken. The past number of months have led to a whole group of substances, many of them “indole” formulations (positively tested in the #NARK20023 Synthetic Cannabinoid Reagent) and some the “non-indole” types.

Listed below are some of these formulations with both their given name and chemistry name:

5F-PB-22 * 1-(5-fluoropentyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid 8-quinilinyl ester Fluorinated version of PB-22.

AB-FUBINACA N-[(1S)-1-aminocarbonyl)-2-methylpropyl]-1-[(4-fluorophenyl) Methyl]-1H-indazole-3-carboxide Originally designed by Pfizer in 2009 as an analgesic medication – never pursued for human use – recently found in cannabinoid blends out of Japan.

AB-001 * 1-pentyl-3-(1-adamantoyl)indole Generally considered less potent, thus less popular than other formulas. Originally found in Ireland (2010) then Hungary and Germany (2011).

ADBICA * N-(1-Amino-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutan-2-yl)-1-pentyl-1H-indole-3- carboxamide Many structurally similar derivatives to ADBICA were disclosed in Pfizer patent WO 2009/106980 but no tests are shown in humans or animals.

AB-FUBINACA N-(1-amino-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutan-2-yl)-1-(4-fluorobenzyl)-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide Identified in synthetic blends coming from Japan in 2013.

APINACA (AKB-48) N-(1-adamantyl)-1-pentyl-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide Known as AKB-48 and came out of Japan in 2012.

cont. on next page

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QUCHIC (BB-22) * 1-(cyclohexylmethyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid8-quinolinyl ester Known as BB-22. Originally coming from Japan in 2013.

QUPIC (PB-22) * 1-pentyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid 8-quinolinyl ester Known as PB-22 Originally coming from Japan in 2013.

SDB-001 * N-(1-adamantyl)-1-pentyl-1H-indole-3-carboxamide) Less potent than JWH-018, this formulation was first identified by laboratories in Japan in 2012. This substance has also been sold as 2NE1.

SDB-006 * N-benzyl-1-pentyl-1H-indole-3-carboxamide First discovered when researching SDB-001 and not yet seen being sold on the various cannabinoid blends.

STS-135 * N-(adamantan-1-yl)-1-(5-fluoropentyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxamide Fluorinated version of SDB-001.

* Designates indole formulations which positively react with the #NARK20023 Synthetic Cannabinoid Reagent.

On April 12th, 2013, DEA registered the “notice of intent” to add the following formulations to the Emergency Schedule as Schedule I substances:

UR-144 * (1-pentyl-1H-indol-1-yl)(2,2,3,3_tetramethylcyclopropyl)methanone

XLR-11 * 1-(5-fluoro-pentyl)-1H-indol-3-yl(2,2,3,3-texramethylcyclopropyl) Methanone

AKB-48 N-(1-adamantyl)-1-pentyl-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide

* Designates indole formulations which positively react with the #NARK20023 Synthetic Cannabinoid Reagent.

The formula designations used above were obtained from www.erowid.org. This internet site is an excellent source of data for synthetic cannabinoids and the all other synthetic substances

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Krokodil – The Truth About a Horrible SubstanceMedia accounts of Krokodil (pronounced – crocodile) in the US, though having a degree of truth have been badly exaggerated. To date, we have heard reports of Krokodil being abused and responsible for overdose deaths and “flesh eating instances”, but when these have been investigated, no confirmed cases of Krokodil have been seen in the United States. This substance first surfaced through eastern European countries and has been seen extensively since 2010 in Russia. To classify Krokodil in our minds, this substance is a synthetic opioid.

The main ingredient for Krokodil is Desomorphine (4,5-alpha-epoxy-17-methylmorphinan-3-ol) and is designed as a homemade Heroin substitute. Desomorophine is a Schedule I substance under the Federal Controlled Substance Act (CSA).

Manufacturing of the substance takes on many of the same properties as cooking Meth. The user will take a codeine mixture (cough syrup or other substances containing codeine) and combine that with ingredients like paint thinner, gasoline and other household items. Once manufactured there is no purifying the substance, but instead, is immediately injected. This leads to tissue damage at the injection site which can cause either phlebitis or gangrene.

From the user’s standpoint, Krokodil will last only about 1 to 1 ½ hours compared to the approximate 4 hour high obtained through Heroin. The potency can be compared to approximately 10 times the strength of Morphine. Because of impurities from street manufacture, use of the substance can lead to painful sores, skin ulcers, internal tissue damage and possible organ failure. The injection sites will normally turn either green or black and form a scaly appearance. This scaly texture to the skin is where the substance adopted its name.

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Analogue Law: Jim Carlson & Last Place on Earth (head shop)In retrospect, it’s possible that in September 2011, the Duluth Police Department, MN, may have set in motion the road map that law enforcement and prosecutors across the country will use to combat the rise in synthetic substances.

At that time, Jim Carlson (56), owner of a “head shop” in downtown Duluth called Last Place on Earth, was raided and arrests were consequently made. Jim Carlson was charged with 55 assorted counts which included:

Conspiracy to Commit Offense against the United States Distribution of Controlled Substances Money Laundering Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act

His son, Joseph Gellerman (32) was arrested at the time of the raid and charged with one misdemeanor while Carlson’s girlfriend, Lava Haugen (31) was charged with four felony charges. Both Mr. Gellerman and Ms. Haugen were employees of the Last Place on Earth. On October 6th. Jim Carlson was convicted on 51 of the 55 charges. Joseph Gellerman was convicted on his misdemeanor charge, while Lava Haugen was convicted on two of the four counts she faced.

During the trial, Carlson’s defense attorney Mr. Randall Tigue, never denied Carlson was selling controlled substances. Rather he contended Carlson had done nothing wrong since none of the substances sold were specifically listed under the Controlled Substance Act. The Government case was built on the fact the synthetic substances being sold were all analogues and were utilizing the Federal Analogue Statutes to convict Carlson.

Jim Carlson came upon his “rebel” side naturally. His father, Robert Carlson, owned a number of bookstores across Minnesota. Pornography was one of the products sold in these stores and Robert Carlson was prosecuted for obscenity charges, but most of these were thrown out of court. Jim learned at an early age the benefit of having a good lawyer. When his Dad’s stores were seized by the IRS, Jim arranged to get the fixtures from the stores and opened his “head shop” in 1982 in Duluth.

Jim Carlson argues the sale of consumable substances should not be illegal but rather controlled. He refers back to prohibition and believes these synthetic substances should be handled in a similar manner. One might question Carlson’s actual motives.

cont. on next page

Mugshot of Jim Carlson, owner of “Last Place on

Earth” head shop.

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Vehicle Division

He has proven that crime pays. Currently Carlson owns the following:

• Upgraded executive style riverfront home with guesthouse in the Duluth area• 80 acre hunting retreat near Grand Rapids, MN• Fishing retreat on Lake of the Wood• 5 bedroom oceanfront home in Cozumel, MexicoReferring to the Mexican property, Carlson called the Mexican property “the house that urine cleaner built”. One of the products sold out of the head shop was urine cleaner at $40.00 per kit. These kits were designed to detoxify marijuana users.

Consequences of This CaseThe Carlson case could end up being a landmark decision in the country’s attempt to utilize the analogue statutes to charge and convict individuals trying to use technicalities to skirt the law. Carlson’s attorney, Randall Tigue, has already declared his position of appealing the October convictions. If this decision is not reversed, law enforcement and prosecutors alike will be able to follow the Carlson road map in successful charging and hopefully convicting future analogue cases.

Mayor Don Ness of Duluth made the following comments following the Carlson decision:

“Because of the strengths of these partnerships, and the approach – this very patient, deliberate approach that we’ve taken to solve this problem – we have now created a path to addressing the problem of synthetic drugs in this country.”

We will be following the appeal process of this case and report back in future editions of NARK News as to the final disposition of this case.

Source: Information for the above article was obtained through the following news publications: Northland’s News Center; Star Tribune.

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Phone: 800.356.7311, 919.554.2244

Fax: 800.899.8181, 919.554.2266

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Narcotics Field Test Instructor Training CoursesSIRCHIE offers instructor courses on the correct use of our field tests. After completing this course, officers will have the ability to train other officers in the proper usage and handling of our presumptive narcotics field tests. For more information on these classes, contact Jack Thorndike at (910) 690-0642 or [email protected].

Short ThoughtsGood Samaritan ActThe State of Florida passed “The Good Samaritan Act” and had it take effect on October 1st, 2012. This act was Senate Bill #278, Section 893.21, Chapter 2012-86.

The basis for the act was to protect individuals from prosecution if they saw or were with individuals that were in distress from taking controlled substances. The following section describes the intent and scope of the new law:

“An act relating to preventing deaths from drug-related overdoses; providing a short title; creating s. 893.21, F.S.; providing a person acting in good faith who seeks medical assistance for an individual experiencing a drug-related overdose may not be charged, prosecuted, or penalized for specified offenses in certain circumstances; providing that a person who experiences a drug-related overdose and needs medical assistance may not be charged, prosecuted, or penalized for specified offenses in certain circumstances; providing that the protections from prosecution for specified offenses are not grounds for suppression of evidence in other prosecutions; amending s. 921.026, F.S.; amending mitigating circumstances under which a departure from the lowest permissible criminal sentence is reasonably justified to include circumstances in which a defendant was making a good faith effort to obtain or provide medical assistance for an individual experiencing a drug-related overdose, providing an effective date.”

Many people harbor fear that involvement in reporting or calling “911” when individuals they are with are experiencing trouble, may lead to them being charged with related offenses. This act protects them from that fear within certain limits. The impetus behind this act comes from research that suggests in some cases if individuals had stepped in and called assistance, eventual overdose deaths may have been avoided.

Useful Web Siteswww.erowid.org – Even though this site is considered a “pro-drug” web site, the information contained can be very valuable to law enforcement. The site breaks the various substances down into vaults. These vaults all have individual icons which break down the substances into various categories: Basics;, Effects;, Images;, Law,; Dose;, Chemistry;, General Information and Related Articles.

www.emcdda.europa.eu – This site is a European drug diversion site which shows the European trends and the various new substances they see. In the past number of years, the synthetic cannabinoid, cathinone and N-BOMe substances tend to be first

cont. on next page

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seen in Europe and this site can give you a heads up to the next substances we will see in the United States.

www.SWGDRUG.org – SWGDRUG is a national group of accredited crime lab directors and personnel which work toward setting standards for the industry and attempting to answer difficult questions like “what is the proper definition of an analog”.

All of the above sites are valuable in staying abreast of the newest trends in all controlled substances but especially the new synthetic substances.

Indiana Narcotic Officers ConferenceThe dates for the 2014 Indiana Narcotics Officers Conference have been set for February 19th through the 21st. Location will again be the Sheraton Keystone on the north end of Indianapolis. As has become the standard, we will be offering the “Drug Updates” a number of times during the conference. The updates this year will include many new developments with the synthetics (2C substances, N-BOMe’s, new cannabinoids, mollies testing). To obtain information in attending the conference, please contact: Mr. Gary Ashenfelter ([email protected]).

Kansas Narcotics Officers ConferenceThe dates for the 2014 Kansas Narcotic Officers Conference have been set for March 10th through the 12th. Location for this year’s conference will return to Topeka, KS but have a new site of the downtown Ramada Hotel (420 East 6th Street, Topeka, KS 66607). We will be conducting the instructor training class for NARK during the conference (as required by Kansas statutes) which will include all of the latest information on all synthetics as well as the standard substances of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. For information on registering or more information on the conference itself, please contact either: Karrina Brasser at [email protected] or Tim McClure at [email protected].

WEBINARS: Mollies and 2C Substances; Cannabinoids/Suboxone/KrokodilIn the past couple of months we have conducted webinars on popular topics within the narcotics industry. Each of these topics were covered in about one hour including the question and answer period. If you are interested in obtaining the links for the PowerPoint presentation, chat room log and YouTube video of the complete presentation for either of the topics listed below please contact Jack Thorndike at [email protected].

Recent Webinars:• Understanding Mollies and 2C Substances• Synthetic Cannabinoids, Suboxone and Krokodil

FREEWEBINARS

Documents

What’s Inside - sirchie.com · In one instance, the users dissolved the opiate in alcohol (Vodka) and dropped the mixture either in their eye or up their nose. Buprenorphine/Naxolone