Unit 6: Drug Recognition and Evidence

Illegal Drugs and Drugs That Are Subject to Abuse

The fact that drug addiction and drug abuse are closely connected with crime need not be explored here. However, it is very useful for the investigator to be aware of the classifications of the various types of drugs that are abused, the physical forms the drugs can have, and the ways they affect the user under varying conditions. All such information can sharpen the crime scene investigator’s perception of physical evidence that is associated with illegal use of drugs. This section summarizes this type of information in so far as it seems useful for the purposes of crime scene search.

Some investigators mistakenly believe that the term “narcotic” covers all the controlled drugs and frequently use the term in this manner. Narcotic drugs are only those of addiction which are extracted from the opium plant and the leaves of the coca shrub.

The term “controlled drugs” is generally understood to include all drugs which are covered by law and are restricted in some manner. Because of the technical requirements of the courts it is better that the term “controlled drug” be used in the preliminary examination reports until a chemical examination can be
conducted to determine the exact nature of the material.