Hair testing

When THC metabolites are in the blood, they go through the blood vessels in the head, and get filtered through the hair. THC metabolites remain in the hair as a permanent record. The hair test costs several hundred dollars ( 150-300) and is rarely given because urinalysis is cheaper (approximately 65) and more accurate. (The hair test equipment and setup goes for over a million). According to Jeff Nightbyrd, hair tests are widely used in the casino industry. They cut 50 strands of hair from the scalp, and send it in 

Usually used to detect anabolic steroids. Defined by Thein and Landry  

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Second hand marijuana smoke in a car can cause you to fail the next day (Nightbyrd). It is possible that second hand [marijuana] smoke will raise someone to the 50 ng/mL level however, extreme exposure is required. For instance, a closed car full of pot smokers and a non-smoker may render the non-smoker positive for both urinalysis and the hair test, provided that they are sealed in the car for a while. The Army did a case study where volunteers were put in a room pumped full of smoke for an hour, five times daily. Subjects started testing positive after the second day. The non-smoker would have to take in virtually as much second hand smoke as a smoker inhales. Non-smokers are safe in a ventilated area, as long as they don t get a hair test. According to Clinton, simply blowing crack smoke on ones hair may cause a positive hair test. Second hand pot smoke doesn t affect the hair test results as much as crack smoke does mainly because exhaled smoke contains no THC. The only pot smoke that contains THC is the smoke that hasn t entered the lungs. 

In the workplace, an EMIT screening is typically used, with a CG/MS confirmation if the EMIT is positive. However, this is not a rule employers can, and some do, use unusual procedures. Some employers use the RIA, and some use the hair test. The government often uses RIA. They may or may not supervise the subject. Olympic athletes must be monitored by courier after a competition. The courier stays with the athlete until the athlete urinates, with a time frame of up to sixty minutes. 

It is important to consider the discrimination factor. People with dark skin may fail the urine test due to the false positive melanin. Drugs are detected easier in dark haired people when the hair test is used [Berns]. 

Urine is the most common method, but mouth swabs ensure authenticity and hair testing much longer-term information... 

Tassiopoulos K, Bernstein J, Heeren T, Levenson S, Hingson R Bernstein E (2004). Hair testing and self-report of cocaine use by heroin users. Addiction, 99, 590-7... 

Claims to be able to reliably differentiate between opiate and poppy seed use We ve recently heard (8/2001) that many hair tests now check for more than the NIDA 5, and include at least Cannabis, Ecstasy/MDMA, Cocaine, Opiates, Methamphetamine, Amphetamine, Phencyclidine (PCP), Benzodiazepines, Barbiturates. 

ACLU Drug Testing Briefing ACLU on the Inaccuracy of Hair Tests... 

Society of Hair Testing (2004) Consensus on hair analysis, http //www.soht.org/. Accessed 2 Dec 2010... 

Musshoff F, Madea B (2007) Analytical pitfalls in hair testing. Anal Bioanal Chem 388 1475-1494... 

SOHT (2004) Recommendations for hair testing in forensic cases. Forensic Sci Int 145 83-84... 

Tsatsakis, A. M., Tzatzarakis, M. N., Psaroulis, D., Levkidis, C., and Michalodimi-trakis, M. (2001). Evaluation of the addiction history of a dead woman after exhumation and sectional hair testing. Amer. J. Forensic Med. Path. 22, 73-77. 

Five plant systems or types of study have been selected for coverage in this report plant cytogenetic analysis, chlorophyll mutations, the Tradescantia stamen hair test, the maize waxy locus system, and plant metabolic activation systems. Descriptions of other plant systems may be found in the proceedings of workshops on the use of higher plants as monitors for environmental mutagens94 and on the use of pollen systems to detect biologic activity of environmental pollutants.71... 

Chemical analysis of hair samples may also provide a method for examining chronic mycotoxin exposures. In 2003, Sewram et al. (2003) reported that human hair testing could be used to detect fumonisins. After extraction and clean up, high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) was able to detect fumonisin Bi, fumonisin B2, and fumonisin B3 from human hair samples (Sewram et al., 2003). However, these were... 

Environmental Exposure — the Stumbling Block of Hair Testing.17... 

The Potential for Bias in Hair Testing for Drugs of Abuse.69... 

III. Drug Hair Test Results in the American Courts.7... 

IN. DRUG HAIR TEST RESULTS IN THE AMERICAN COURTS... 

In 1985 in People v Miel, Martin Miel was charged and convicted of first-degree murder.5 The defense introduced hair test results to indicate that a key prosecution witness had lied when he said he was not using drugs at the time of the crime. Also in 1985, Robert Korner was convicted of robbery in People v Korner, however, the defense had submitted hair test results from the accused to prove that he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the crime and therefore could not have formed criminal intent. In these three cases, positive hair test results were used to demonstrate a prior history of drug use. 

In 1987 a marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA was acquitted of the wrongful use of cocaine in a military court-martial, U.S. v LCpl Steven M. Piccolo. A positive urinalysis for cocaine metabolites had been obtained a negative hair analysis was submitted to refute this information. The military judge refused to admit into evidence the negative hair test results. 

In 1990 in Garvin v Garvin, the court ordered the mother and a third party to submit hair samples for testing for marijuana use. The higher court reversed the decision due to the unreliability of the hair test in detection of marijuana use and the fact that only marijuana use was suspected. 

In 1993 in Adoption of Baby Boy L., the biological mother revoked her adoption consent. The court ordered hair testing by RIA and confirmation by gas chroma-tography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), to evaluate the biological mother s and father s cocaine use in order to determine the best interests of the child. 

In 1994 in U.S. v Neely, positive hair tests provided by the FBI were not admitted in a probationary hearing. The court-directed urinalysis program had detected no drug use for 60 days. However, the probation period was extended and the number of urine tests performed per week were increased by the court. 

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