[ccard45]

I am currently in the military and popped on a urine analysis for cocaine. I have never done the drug. My chain of command requested court Martial so I talked to my lawyer and he said take a hair folical test. I did and all my results came out negative. I called the lab and he said that a one time cocaine use might not be seen in hair and I am wondering why wouldnt the metabolites still be in my hair if i did use it. It was also from my arm pit since my hair on my head is shorter and since it was body hair it grows at a slower rate. I need someone to send me a link or a number to a doctor or someone who can say yes hair testing will in fact catch a one time use any help will be greatly appreciated Semper Fidelis

[Arkcon]

Many threads such as this one have come up over the years, and I'm afraid you can't expect much help.  People just don't provide useful information on these sorts of topics over the internet.  You've gotten conflicting information regarding the capabilities of a test -- that may be enough to get the court to throw out the case.  Since that's enough, most people don't pursue it further.  Definitely mention what you've found to your lawyer, they can then research and interview laboratory representatives, compile the information coherently, and report it to the judges.  No scientist will ever say "This is a 100% fool-proof test", but no company is going to share with the world the limitations of their diagnostic product  -- either the things it can't do or ways it can be tricked.  So you can see why we're kinda stuck without useful information.

[Wastrel]

If the lab say they may miss one use, you can't make that more credible with additional testimony.  You need to know more about the urine test and any medicine you were taking that may have interfered.

http://dig.pharm.uic.edu/faq/2011/Feb/faq1.aspx

That seems like a good link.  If they did an immunoassay test you need to know if they backed it up with a GC-MS, if not the result is flawed.  If they did you want a copy of the raw result for a second opinion.  You may also want to request some of the original sample is sent to another lab (which you would have to pay for) for a retest.

The tests companies provide are based on published science, or they wouldn't be credible.  These tests are documented along with all the flaws, tricks and wriggle room.  If something can't be challenged it isn't science.

The best defense is a good offence, learn about and undermine the urine test.

[ccard45]

If the lab say they may miss one use, you can't make that more credible with additional testimony.  You need to know more about the urine test and any medicine you were taking that may have interfered.

http://dig.pharm.uic.edu/faq/2011/Feb/faq1.aspx

That seems like a good link.  If they did an immunoassay test you need to know if they backed it up with a GC-MS, if not the result is flawed.  If they did you want a copy of the raw result for a second opinion.  You may also want to request some of the original sample is sent to another lab (which you would have to pay for) for a retest.

The tests companies provide are based on published science, or they wouldn't be credible.  These tests are documented along with all the flaws, tricks and wriggle room.  If something can't be challenged it isn't science.

The best defense is a good offense, learn about and undermine the urine test.

 Thanks for the advice everyone who has posted on here its been a lot of help. I am still figuring out everything but only have limited time until the trail starts im going to talk to my lawyer tomorrow and ask about the piss and try and have another company retest it. I was taking ammoxacillin for my tonsils and I do have coca tea didnt know at the time it was advertised as safe effective weight loss you can drink and i do have a gin and tonic from time to time 

[Arkcon]

I do have coca tea didnt know at the time it was advertised as safe effective weight loss you can drink and i do have a gin and tonic from time to time

This would have been a shorter thread if you'd have mentioned that at first.

[408]

But coca tea sold in the US must be decocanized by federal law.  If your coca tea has cocaine in it, it is an illegal product that has been mistaken for a legal product.  This may work to your advantage if your lawyer argues that you thought you were using a legal product, but turns out someone somewhere dropped the ball and gave you the good stuff. 

But if you smuggled it in from Peru or where ever, yeah, you are f*$#&@. 

[Wastrel]

It may be a presumptive positive based on metabolites, like eating two poppy seeded bagels and testing positive for heroin.  The nature of the original test and the raw result needs to be looked at.  Arguing that cocaine was consumed accidentally is a different case to arguing the test was flawed and may need different evidence.  You need to know as early as possible which case you are going to be fighting.  It may also be helpful to look at the detail of the negative hair test for the same reasons.

The amoxacillin prescription may help, the evidence supporting that producing false positive immunoassay results seems to be weak.  Get the evidence together, if you don't have receipts for the coca leaf tea get copies.

As an aside, weight loss products can be a nightmare.  One pop star here was taking weight loss tablets that turned out to contain amphetamines and she has serious heart damage now.  Some tablets contain DNP which can cause liver failure.

[Archer]

Quite a few posts here which provide you with information on the test so there is not much more I can add regarding chemistry.

From a forensics point of view, legally they have a very difficult issue. You should have been asked to provided two separate specimines of urine. One of which they send to the lab and the other is sealed in a tamper-evident, uniquely labelled pot and kept under optimum storage conditions on your behalf so that, in the event of a positive test, you are able to choose another lab to send it to.

Is the testing factility accredited for testing for drugs and drug metabolites in urine? If they are not then again they have a difficult issue proving that the lab didn't make a mistake. Even if they are an acredited lab is far less likely to make a mistake but it can happen and this is why two specimines are required by most accredited labs.

[billnotgatez]

I am currently in the military

@Archer
The military code of justice is might not require the rigor of processing you suggest
ccard45 will probably need a very aggressive defense who knows the science, but how he gets his defense may prove the result of his hearings. He is looking at a dishonorable type of discharge and not jail time (unless he was negligent or is unlucky)

[Archer]

In that case I can't really offer any more than to wish you all the best of luck.

The Criminal Justice system outside of the military is set up, as best it can, to avoid doubt. It sounds like the military could lose a member just because they didn't follow a stricter protocol.

[ccard45]

Thanks to everyone who put there input here it helped a lot. 1 week before my case the prosecutor dismissed and dropped the case without prejudice, so either due to a lack of evidence or such a strong defense everything went in my favor. I had the tea bag sent out as well as an expert forensic toxicologist Dr. Kippenburger out of Texas and everything matched up the amount of the metabolite bze in my urine and what the level would be if i drank this tea within 4 hours of taking my piss test. I am back to full duty and thinking about reenlisting and helping other military members in my situation if you have any comments or questions feel free to contact me [email edited out - please use forum personal messages] thanks again everyone who helped.

[Archer]

Congratulations, very pleased to hear it.

[Babcock_Hall]

Presumptive tests for the presence of blood (luminol, Kastle-Meyer etc.) are often misunderstood by the CJ system, but they also suffer from the problem of false positives.