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Types of Drugs
• Parents, Teens
and Drugs
• Slang Terms
Cannabis
All forms
of cannabis have negative physical and mental effects. Several regularly
observed physical effects of cannabis are a substantial increase in the
heart rate, bloodshot eyes, a dry mouth and throat, and increased appetite.
Use of
cannabis may impair or reduce short-term memory and comprehension, alter
sense of time, and reduce ability to perform tasks requiring concentration
and coordination, such as driving a car. Motivation and cognition may be
altered, making the acquisition of new information difficult. Marijuana can
also produce paranoia and psychosis.
Because
users often inhale the unfiltered smoke deeply and then hold it in their
lungs as long as possible, marijuana is damaging to the lungs and pulmonary
system. Marijuana smoke contains more cancer-causing agents than tobacco
smoke. Long-term users of cannabis may develop psychological dependence and
require more of the drug to get the same effect.
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Type
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What is it called?
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What does it look like?
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How is it used?
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Marijuana |
Pot, Reefer, Grass, Weed, Dope, Ganja, Mary Jane, or Sinsemilla |
Like dried parsley, with stems and/or seeds; rolled into
cigarettes |
Smoked or eaten |
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Tetrahydrocannabinol |
THC |
Soft gelatin capsules |
Taken orally |
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Hashish |
Hash |
Brown or black cakes or balls |
Smoked or eaten |
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Hashish Oil |
Hash Oil |
Concentrated syrupy liquid varying in color from clear to black |
Smoked - mixed with tobacco |
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Inhalants
The immediate
negative effects of inhalants include nausea, sneezing, coughing,
nosebleeds, fatigue, lack of coordination, and loss of appetite.
Solvents and aerosol sprays also decrease the heart and respiratory
rates and impair judgment. Amyl and butyl nitrite cause rapid pulse,
headaches, and involuntary passing of urine and feces. Long-term use may
result in hepatitis or brain damage.
Deeply inhaling the vapors, or using large amounts over a short time,
may result in disorientation, violent behavior, unconsciousness, or
death. High concentrations of inhalants can cause suffocation by
displacing the oxygen in the lungs or by depressing the central nervous
system to the point that breathing stops.
Long-term use can cause weight loss, fatigue, electrolyte imbalance, and
muscle fatigue. Repeated sniffing of concentrated vapors over time can
permanently damage the nervous system.
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Type
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What is it called?
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What does it look like?
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How is it used?
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Nitrous Oxide |
Laughing gas or Whippets |
Small 8-gram metal cylinder sold with a balloon or pipe
propellant for whipped cream in aerosol spray can |
Vapors inhaled |
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Amyl Nitrite |
Poppers or Snappers |
Clear yellowish liquid in |
Vapors inhaled |
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Butyl Nitrite |
Rush, Bolt, Bullet, Locker Room, and Climax |
In small bottles |
Vapors inhaled |
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Chlorohydrocarbons |
Aerosol sprays or cleaning fluids |
Aerosol paint cans |
Vapors inhaled |
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Hydrocarbons |
Solvents |
Cans of aerosol propellants, gasoline, glue, paint thinner |
Vapors inhaled |
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Cocaine
Cocaine stimulates
the central nervous system. Its immediate effects include dilated pupils
and elevated blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and body
temperature. Occasional use can cause a stuffy or runny nose, while
chronic use can ulcerate the mucous membrane of the nose. Injecting
cocaine with contaminated equipment can cause AIDS, hepatitis, and other
diseases. Preparation of freebase, which involves the use of volatile
solvents, can result in death or injury from fire or explosion.
Crack or freebase rock is extremely addictive, and its effects are felt
within 10 seconds. The physical effects include dilated pupils,
increased pulse rate, elevated blood pressure, insomnia, loss of
appetite, tactile hallucinations, paranoia, and seizure. The use of
cocaine can cause death by cardiac arrest or respiratory failure.
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Type
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What is it called?
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What does it look like?
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How is it used?
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Cocaine |
Coke, Snow, Nose Candy, Flake, Blow, Big C, Lady, White, and
Snowbirds |
White crystalline powder |
Inhaled, injected |
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Crack cocaine |
Crack, rock, freebase |
White to tan pellets or crystalline rocks that look like soap |
Smoked |
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Other
Stimulants
Stimulants can cause increased heart and respiratory rates, elevated
blood pressure, dilated pupils, and decreased appetite. In addition,
users may experience sweating, headache, blurred vision, dizziness,
sleeplessness, and anxiety. Extremely high doses can cause a rapid or
irregular heartbeat, tremors, loss of coordination, and even physical
collapse. An amphetamine injection creates a sudden increase in blood
pressure that can result in stroke, very high fever, or heart failure.
In
addition to the physical effects, users report feeling restless,
anxious, and moody. Higher doses intensify the effects. Persons who use
larger amounts of amphetamines over a long period of time can develop an
amphetamine psychosis that includes hallucinations, delusions, and
paranoia. These symptoms usually disappear when drug use ceases.
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Type
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What is it called?
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What does it look like?
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How is it used?
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Amphetamines |
Speed, Uppers, Ups, Black beauties, Pep pills, Copilots,
Bumblebees, Hearts, Benzedrine, Dexedrine, Footballs, and
Biphetamine |
Capsules, pills, tablets |
Taken orally, injected, inhaled |
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Methamphetamines |
Crank, Crystal meth, Crystal methadrine, and Speed |
White powder, pills, rock that resembles a block of paraffin |
Taken orally, injected, inhaled |
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Additional Stimulants |
Ritalin, Cylert, Preludin, Didrex, Pre-State, Voranil, Sandrex,
and Plegine |
Pills or capsules |
Taken orally, injected |
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Depressants
The
effects of depressants are in many ways similar to the effects of
alcohol. Small amounts can produce calmness and very relaxed muscles,
but larger doses can cause slurred speech, staggering gait, and altered
perception. Very large doses can cause respiratory depression, coma, and
death. The combination of depressants and alcohol can multiply the
effects of the drugs, increasing the risks.
Regular use of depressants over time can result in physical and
psychological addiction. People who suddenly stop taking large doses can
experience withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, insomnia, tremors,
delirium, convulsions, and death. Babies born to mothers who abuse
depressants may also be physically dependent on the drugs and show
withdrawal symptoms shortly after they are born. Birth defects and
behavioral problems also may result.
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Type
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What is it called?
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What does it look like?
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How is it used?
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Barbiturates |
Downers, Barbs, Blue Devils, Red Devils, Yellow Jacket, Yellows,
Nembutal, Tuinals, Seconal, and Amytal |
Red, yellow, blue, or red and blue capsules |
Taken orally |
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Methaqualone |
Qualudes, Ludes, Sopors |
Tablets |
Taken orally |
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Tranquilizers |
Valium, Librium, Miltown, Serax, Equanil, Miltown, and Tranxene |
Tablets or capsules |
Taken orally |
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Hallucinogen
Phencyclidine (PCP) interrupts the functions of the neocortex, the
section of the brain that controls the intellect and keeps instincts in
check. Because the drug blocks pain receptors, violent PCP episodes may
result in self-inflicted injuries. The effects of PCP vary, but users
frequently report a sense of distance and estrangement. Time and body
movements are slowed down. Muscular coordination worsens and senses are
dulled. Speech is blocked and incoherent. In later stages of chronic
use, users often exhibit paranoid and violent behavior and experience
hallucinations. Large doses may produce convulsions and coma, as well as
heart and lung failure.
Lysergic acid (LSD), mescaline, and psilocybin cause illusions and
hallucinations. The physical effects may include dilated pupils,
elevated body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, loss
of appetite, sleeplessness, and tremors. The user may experience panic,
confusion, suspicion, anxiety, and loss of control.
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Type
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What is it called?
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What does it look like?
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How is it used?
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Phencyclidine |
PCP, Hog, Angel Dust, Loveboat, Lovely, Killer Weed |
What does it look like - Liquid, white crystalline powder,
pills, capsules |
Taken orally, injected, smoked (sprayed on joints or cigarettes) |
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Lysergic acid diethylamide |
LSD, Acid, Microdot, White lightning, Blue heaven, and Sugar
Cubes |
Colored tablets, blotter paper, clear liquid, thin squares of
gelatin |
Taken orally, licked off paper, gelatin, and liquid can be put
in the eyes. |
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Mescaline and Peyote |
Mesc, Buttons, and Cactus |
Hard brown discs, tablets, capsules |
Discs - chewed, swallowed, or smoked or Tablets and capsules -
taken orally |
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Psilocybin |
Magic Mushrooms, 'shrooms |
Fresh or dried mushrooms |
Chewed or swallowed |
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Narcotics
Narcotics initially produce a feeling of euphoria that often is followed
by drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting. Users may also experience
constricted pupils, watery eyes, and itching. An overdose may produce
slow and shallow breathing, clammy skin, convulsions, coma, and possible
death.
Tolerance to narcotics develops rapidly and dependence is likely. The
use of contaminated syringes may result in disease such as AIDS,
endocarditic, and hepatitis. Addiction in pregnant women can lead to
premature, stillborn, or addicted infants who experience severe
withdrawal symptoms.
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Type
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What is it called?
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What does it look like?
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How is it used?
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Heroin |
Smack, Horse, Mud, Brown sugar, Junk, Black tar, and Big H |
White to dark-brown powder or tar-like substance |
Injected, smoked, or inhaled |
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Codeine |
Empirin compound with codeine, Tylenol with codeine, Codeine in
cough medicine |
Dark liquid varying in thickness, capsules, tablets |
Taken orally, injected |
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Morphine |
Pectoral syrup |
White crystals, hypodermic tablets, or inject able solutions |
Taken orally, injected, or smoked |
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Opium |
Paregoric, Dover's Powder, Parepectolin |
Dark brown chunks, powder |
Smoked, eaten, or injected |
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Meperidine |
Pethidine, Demerol, Mepergan |
White powder, solution, tablets |
Taken orally, injected |
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Other narcotics |
Percocet, Percodan, Tussionex, Fentanyl, Darvon, Talwin, and
Lomotil |
Tablets or capsules |
Taken orally, injected |
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Designer
Drugs
Illegal drugs are defined in the terms of their chemical formulas. To
circumvent these legal restrictions, underground chemists modify the
molecular structure of certain illegal drugs to produce analogs known as
designer drugs. These drugs can be several hundred times stronger than
the drugs they are designed to imitate.
The narcotic analogs can cause symptoms such as those seen in
Parkinson's disease: uncontrollable tremors, drooling, impaired speech,
paralysis, and irreversible brain damage. Analogs of amphetamines and
methamphetamines cause nausea, blurred vision, chills or sweating, and
faintness. Psychological effects include anxiety, depression, and
paranoia. As little as one dose can cause brain damage. The analogs of
phencyclidine cause illusions, hallucinations, and impaired perception.
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Type
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What is it called?
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What does it look like?
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How is it used?
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Analog of Fentanyl (Narcotic) |
Synthetic heroin, China white |
White powder |
Inhaled, injected |
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Analog of Meperidine (Narcotic) |
MPTP (New heroin), MPPP, synthetic heroin |
White powder |
Inhaled, injected |
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Analog of Amphetamines or Methamphetamines (Hallucinogens) |
MDMA (Ecstasy, XTC, Adam, Essence), MDM, STP, PMA, 2, 5-DMA, TMA,
DOM, DOB, EVE |
White powder, tablets, or capsules |
Taken orally, injected, or inhaled |
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Analog of Phencyclidine (PCP) |
PCPy, PCE |
White powder |
Taken orally, injected, or smoked |
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Anabolic Steroids
Steroids
Anabolic steroids are a group of powerful compounds closely related to
the male sex hormone testosterone. Developed in the 1930's, steroids are
seldom prescribed by physicians today. Current legitimate medical uses
are limited to certain kinds of anemia, severe burns, and some types of
breast cancer.
Taken in combination with a program of muscle-building exercise and
diet, steroids may contribute to increases in body weight and muscular
strength. Steroid users subject themselves to more than 70 side effects
ranging in severity from liver cancer to acne and including
psychological as well as physical reactions. The liver and
cardiovascular systems are most seriously affected by steroid use. In
males, use can cause withered testicles, sterility, and impotence. In
females, irreversible masculine traits can develop along with breast
reduction and sterility. Psychological effects in both sexes include
very aggressive behavior known as "roid rage" and depression. While some
side effects appear quickly, others, such as heart attacks and strokes,
may not show up for years.
Signs of steroid use include quick weight and muscle gains (when used in
a weight training program); aggressiveness and combativeness; jaundice;
purple or red spots on the body; swelling of feet and lower legs;
trembling; unexplained darkening of the skin; and persistent unpleasant
breath odor.
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Alcohol
Alcohol consumption causes a number of changes in behavior. Even low
doses significantly impair the judgment and coordination required to
drive a car safely. Low to moderate doses of alcohol can increase the
incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, including spouse and child
abuse. Moderate to high doses of alcohol cause marked impairments in
higher mental functions, severely altering a person's ability to learn
and remember information. Very high doses cause respiratory depression
and death.
Continued use of alcohol can lead to dependence. Sudden cessation of
alcohol intake is likely to produce withdrawal symptoms, including
severe anxiety, tremors, hallucinations, and convulsions. Long-term
effects of consuming large quantities of alcohol, especially when
combined with poor nutrition, can lead to permanent damage to vital
organs such as the brain and the liver. In addition, mothers who drink
alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to infants with fetal alcohol
syndrome. These infants may suffer from mental retardation and other
irreversible physical abnormalities. In addition, research indicates
that children of alcoholic parents are at greater risk than other
children of becoming alcoholics.
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Tobacco
The
smoking of tobacco products is the chief avoidable cause of death in our
society. Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to contract heart
disease - some 170,000 die each year from smoking-related coronary heart
disease. Lung, larynx, esophageal, bladder, pancreatic, and kidney
cancers also strike smokers at increased rates. Some 30 percent of
cancer deaths (130,000 per year) are linked to smoking. Chronic,
obstructive lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis are
10 times more likely to occur among smokers than among nonsmokers.
Smoking during pregnancy also poses serious risks. Spontaneous abortion,
pre-term birth, low birth weights, and fetal and infant deaths are all
more likely to occur when the pregnant woman is a smoker.
Cigarette smoke contains some 4,000 chemicals, several of which are
known carcinogens. Perhaps the most dangerous substance in tobacco smoke
is nicotine. Nicotine is the substance that reinforces and strengthens
the desire to smoke. Because nicotine is highly addictive, addicts find
it very difficult to stop smoking. Of 1,000 typical smokers, fewer than
20 percent succeed in stopping on the first try.
How
Long Will The Drugs Stay In The System
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DETECTION PERIODS FOR DRUGS IN URINE
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Drug
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Detection Period
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ALCOHOL, ETHYL |
3-10 HOURS |
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AMPHETAMINE |
1-2 DAYS |
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BARBITURATES SECOBARBITAL |
1-5+ DAYS |
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BARBITURATES PHENOBARBITAL |
2-6 WEEKS |
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BENZODIAZEPINES |
3-5 DAYS |
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BENZODIAZEPINES HEAVY ABUSE |
3-6 WEEKS |
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COCAINE |
2-3+ DAYS |
BENZOYLECGONINE
(Cocaine Metabolite) |
2-4 DAY |
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CODEINE |
1-3+ DAYS |
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HEROIN |
1-2 DAYS |
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HYDROMORPHONE (DILAUDID) |
1-2 DAYS |
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LSD |
1-2 DAYS |
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METHAMPHETAMINES |
2-3+ DAYS |
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METHAQUALONE (QUAALUDE) |
2 WEEKS |
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MORPHINE |
1-2 DAYS |
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PCP (PHENCYCLIDINE) |
2-8 DAYS |
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Ecstasy
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3-5 DAYS |
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PROPOXYPHENE (DARVON) |
6-48 HOURS |
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(PROPOXYPHENE METABOLITES) |
6-48 HOURS |
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ANABOLIC STEROIDS (ORAL) |
2 DAYS -
4 WEEKS |
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ANABOLIC STEROIDS (INJECTABLE) |
2 MONTHS -
1 YEAR |
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THC METABOLITE (MARIJUANA)
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1 JOINT, URINE |
2 WEEKS |
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3 TIMES WEEKLY, URINE |
3-4 WEEKS |
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DAILY, URINE |
4-6 WEEKS |
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