DEA DEA Drug Chemistry and Identification 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is a Schedule I hallucinogen that DEA commonly encounters?
- MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) (Correct answer)
- Ketamine
- PCP (phencyclidine)
- LSD only
Correct answer: MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine)
MDMA is a Schedule I hallucinogenic amphetamine with no accepted medical use; it acts as both a stimulant and entactogen.
Question 2: What does the DEA clandestine lab program focus on when responding to methamphetamine lab scenes?
- Hazardous chemical safety, evidence collection, and environmental remediation (Correct answer)
- Immediate prosecution of all present at the scene
- Destroying the lab without documenting precursor chemicals
- Transferring all chemicals to a state laboratory
Correct answer: Hazardous chemical safety, evidence collection, and environmental remediation
Meth lab scenes involve toxic and explosive chemicals requiring Hazmat protocols, careful evidence documentation, and proper environmental cleanup procedures.
Question 3: Pseudoephedrine is significant in DEA enforcement because it is a:
- Key precursor chemical used to manufacture methamphetamine (Correct answer)
- Schedule I controlled substance itself
- Synthetic opioid increasingly found in counterfeit pills
- Cutting agent mixed into heroin supplies
Correct answer: Key precursor chemical used to manufacture methamphetamine
Pseudoephedrine, found in many cold medications, is the primary precursor chemical for methamphetamine production, which led to the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005.
Question 4: What is the most common synthetic opioid now encountered by DEA being mixed into illicit drug supplies?
- Fentanyl and fentanyl analogs (Correct answer)
- Tramadol
- Hydrocodone
- Oxycodone
Correct answer: Fentanyl and fentanyl analogs
Illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) and its analogs are now the leading cause of overdose deaths in the U.S. due to their presence in counterfeit pills, heroin, and cocaine.
Question 5: Which test is used by DEA laboratories to definitively confirm the identity of a controlled substance?
- Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) (Correct answer)
- Marquis reagent color test
- Scott test
- Duquenois-Levine test
Correct answer: Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS)
GC-MS is the gold-standard confirmatory test used in forensic labs to definitively identify and quantify controlled substances because of its high specificity.
Question 6: The Duquenois-Levine test is a presumptive field test specifically used to identify:
- Cannabis (marijuana) (Correct answer)
- Cocaine
- Heroin
- Methamphetamine
Correct answer: Cannabis (marijuana)
The Duquenois-Levine test produces a purple color reaction in the presence of THC and other cannabinoids, making it the standard presumptive test for marijuana.
DEA DEA Drug Chemistry and Identification 2
Which of the following is a Schedule I hallucinogen that DEA commonly encounters?