Spring Break
Forensics expert explains marijuana testing myths
Brenna McCabe
Issue date: 4/10/07 Section: News
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04/10/07 - When a student is caught in possession of marijuana, there is little they can use as an excuse to get out of being arrested or slapped with a hefty fine, according to Mahmoud ElSohly, a research professor at the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Mississippi.
As part of the Forensic Science Seminar Series, ElSohly made his presentation, "Marijuana in Forensics," to about 60 students and members of the community in Pastore Chemical Laboratory Friday. Referring to his latest research, ElSohly talked about the fact and fiction of marijuana usage and why certain defenses for positive marijuana testing don't hold up in court.
"When the tests come back positive for marijuana, some people say, 'I went to a party and people were smoking pot,'" ElSohly said. "This issue has been studied to death."
ElSohly said the party scene he described would be an example of passive inhalation, something that could not cause a marijuana test to show up positive. "There's no way you'd be up to the physical guidelines," he said.
ElSohly said another excuse that wouldn't hold up in court would be the "hemp seed" defense. Hemp seed and oil contain small amounts of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, which are responsible for the psychometer effects of marijuana.
According to ElSohly's research, hemp seed and oil can be found in 120 different products on the market today. Because the amount of THC is significantly less, however, ElSohly said students that using hemp products as an excuse for a positive drug test would be disappointed in a police officer or an employer's reaction. Like passive inhalation, there would not be enough THC in a sample after ingesting hemp to meet the guidelines for "testing positive."
The latest problem has been the surfacing of medical marijuana, or Marinol, which is the only medical marijuana treatment that has been approved by the FDA.
"This will be positive on a drug test for marijuana," ElSohly said. "Marinol is nothing but THC, and THC comes from marijuana."
As part of the Forensic Science Seminar Series, ElSohly made his presentation, "Marijuana in Forensics," to about 60 students and members of the community in Pastore Chemical Laboratory Friday. Referring to his latest research, ElSohly talked about the fact and fiction of marijuana usage and why certain defenses for positive marijuana testing don't hold up in court.
"When the tests come back positive for marijuana, some people say, 'I went to a party and people were smoking pot,'" ElSohly said. "This issue has been studied to death."
ElSohly said the party scene he described would be an example of passive inhalation, something that could not cause a marijuana test to show up positive. "There's no way you'd be up to the physical guidelines," he said.
ElSohly said another excuse that wouldn't hold up in court would be the "hemp seed" defense. Hemp seed and oil contain small amounts of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, which are responsible for the psychometer effects of marijuana.
According to ElSohly's research, hemp seed and oil can be found in 120 different products on the market today. Because the amount of THC is significantly less, however, ElSohly said students that using hemp products as an excuse for a positive drug test would be disappointed in a police officer or an employer's reaction. Like passive inhalation, there would not be enough THC in a sample after ingesting hemp to meet the guidelines for "testing positive."
The latest problem has been the surfacing of medical marijuana, or Marinol, which is the only medical marijuana treatment that has been approved by the FDA.
"This will be positive on a drug test for marijuana," ElSohly said. "Marinol is nothing but THC, and THC comes from marijuana."
