II. DRUGS OF ABUSE

4. Amphetamine Type Stimulants (ATS)

1. What common drugs of abuse could be included as ATS?
2. What is a phenethylamine?
3. Draw the structures for the following ATS:
• Amphetamine, methamphetamine, cathine, cathinone, methcathinone, fenetylline are non ring-substituted amphetamines.
• MDA, MDMA, MDEA, FLEA, MDBD are methylenedioxy-substituted amphetamines.
• Other ring-substituted amphetamines include 2,4,5-ring-substituted amphetamines (e.g. TMA-2, STP/DOM, DOB, DOC, DOI, DOET) and 2,4,5-ring-substituted phenethylamines (e.g. 2C-B, 2C-T, 2C-T-2, 2C-T-7, 2C-C, 2C-I).
• Other ring substitution patterns include Mescaline, PMA, PMMA, DMA, TMA, 4-MTA.
4. Identify the differences and similarities between the substances in Questions 3.
5. Are the substances in Questions 3 seen commonly seen in your jurisdiction?
6. In what physical form (e.g. powder, liquid) are ATS compounds frequently seen your laboratory?
7. What are the general effects of ATS? Are there differences between the classes of compounds?
8. Describe the activity and effects of the substances above.
9. In what general classification do each of the ATS fall? (e.g., Stimulant, Depressant)?
10. Describe the structural relationship between an amphetamine and a phenethylamine.
11. What configuration is the chiral center of d-methamphetamine, R or S?
12. Is the levo-methamphetamine in Vicks Inhalers controlled? Explain.
13. What is an entactogen?
14. What are the street names used to describe MDMA?
15. Name four drugs besides MDMA which are used at “rave” clubs.
16. When and why was MDMA first introduced?
17. What compounds are typically found in ecstasy tablets?
18. What drug is commonly referred to as 'speed'?
19. What is 'ice'?
20. Describe the differences between Methamphetamine HCl ( MA.HCl ) and MA Base.
21. What is the most commonly seen ATS in the laboratory?
22. What are commonly used street terms to describe ATS products?
23. Describe the common forms of ATS.
24. Determine the proper protocol for the analysis of each of commonly seen ATS compounds.
25. Are these compounds considered acidic, basic or neutral compounds and why?
26. Can these compounds exist as a salt form and how does this affect its analysis?
27. Do these compounds exist as isomers and how does it affect analysis? (interpretation)
28. Why is it important to convert many ATS compounds to the salt form before any evaporation step?
29. How does volatility of the salt or base form of the ATS compound affect the analysis?
30. Identify what form of the drug (salt or base) is most suited to particular analytical techniques.
31. How can you differentiate the salt and base forms of the common ATS drugs?
32. Why is it important to convert many ATS compounds to the salt form before any evaporation step?
33. What methods of analysis provide the a level of discrimination for ATS compounds?
34. Describe an extraction process for ATS commonly seen mixtures.
35. What molecular structure gives rise to the m/z 58 ion in the mass spectrum of methamphetamine?
36. What gives rise to the m/z 44 ion in amphetamine?
37. What are the key m/z ions seen in the mass spectrum of commonly seen ATS compounds?
38. Demonstrate that the trainee can recognize the infrared spectrum of commonly seen ATS compounds.
39. What techniques could be used in the quantification of ATS in illicit materials?
40. Which ring-substituted beta-phenethylamine may be indicated by a rapidly developing very bright green color when treated with Marquis reagent?
41. Will EI mass spectrometry alone effectively distinguish 2,3-methylendioxyamphetamine from 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine?
42. Explain why mass spectral base peaks of 44 amu and 58 amu are common to so many phenethylamines, particularly hallucinogenic ring substituted phenethylamines?
43. What is the effect on the apparent mass spectral base ion, when 2-CB is scanned from 30 – 400 amu as compared to 40 – 400 amu?
44. Describe the differences of 'XTC-tablets' and 'Thai-pills' (this will change with your local jurisdiction).