Introduction

This online course serves as an introduction and basic overview of forensic drug chemistry.  It covers a wide variety of topics associated with controlled substances; including history of drug control, the structure of current drug laws in the United States, history of individual drugs, and specific analytical approaches for specific sample types.

Background
The material from this course has been derived from recognized reference materials in the field of forensic drug chemistry, current abuse trends, scientific journals, as well as personal experiences and those passed on to the author by colleagues.

Course Goal
The goal of this course is to provide the broadest, most in-depth, and up-to-date information possible related to forensic drug analysis.

Course Objectives

By completing this course, the student will learn about:

• Types of evidence submitted for drug analysis to the crime laboratory
• History of controlled substances and corresponding laws
• Drug classifications and schedules
• Details about marijuana, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, dissociatives, and steroids
• Difficulties associated with clandestine lab cases

Course Structure and Schedule
This is a non-credit course offering 5.5 ILUs.  Average completion time for the course is 32 hours.  The instructor should be notified if an extension is required.  The course cost is $199 per registration, and a certificate for course completion will be issued to the student. 

Public Laboratory Employees are funded by NIJ Award 2001-RC-CX-K003 and 2003-RC-CX-K001. A $30 processing fee will be charged to the Individual for any student that doesn't access or finish the class in the time alloted.  See below on how to register.

Overview/Subject Matter

1. Drug Chemistry:  Overview
2. History of Controlled Substance Legislation in the US
3. Drug Classifications
4. Structure of Current Drug Laws
5. Structural Activity Relationships
6. Marijuana
7. Marijuana Analysis
8. Other Controlled Substance Analysis
9. Stimulants:  Cocaine
10. Stimulants:  Amphetamines
11. Other Stimulants
12. Depressants, Heroin and Other Opiates
13. Other Depressants
14. Hallucinogens:  LSD
15. Hallucinogens:  Psilocybe Mushrooms
16. Hallucinogens:  MDMA
17. Additional Hallucinogens
18. Dissociatives
19. Anabolic Steroids
20. Clandestine Laboratories
21. Miscellaneous Topics

Prerequisites

No prerequisites or course materials are required for the course.

Computer Requirements

• Internet Explorer
• Adobe Acrobat
• QuickTime Player
• Macromedia Flash Player
• Java version 5.0

(Free software plug-ins are available in the Getting Started area of the course.

Basic computer skills required (i.e. turning on your computer, navigating to websites, etc.) The course is user-friendly but support is available if needed.

Materials

All required readings are provided in PDF format. There is no required text.

FAQs

Q: Do I need to work in a forensic laboratory to take this course?Yes. Due to the nature of the subject matter, this course is not open to the general public. Forensic professionals may be required to provide a brief justification of how the course relates to their daily work.Q: Do I qualify for NIJ funding?If you are in any type of forensic public sector, you qualify. NIJ provides funds so that forensic scientists, law enforcement, crime scene personnel, and related professionals can receive proper training. The exceptions are individuals working in the private sector, federally funded employees, and individuals working in academia.
Q: Do I need to be technically savvy?As long as you have basic computer skills (i.e. turning on your computer, navigating to websites, etc) you will be fine. The course is user-friendly but support is available if needed.
Q: How long will it take for me to complete the course?On average, the course can be completed in approximately 32 hours. Students work at their own pace and convenience and may work as much or as little as they would like during each session.  The student has until the end of the semester to complete the course, although extensions may be granted upon request.
Q: What level is this course geared toward?This course is at an introductory level overview of drug chemistry for forensic scientists.
Q: Who should I contact for more information?Instructor: Samantha.Neal@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-5836

Registration

Public laboratory employees are funded by NIJ Award 2001-RC-CX-K003 and 2003-RC-CX-K001.  Please fill out the Supervisor Approval Form and fax or mail it. No other form is required to register. Students that submit a Supervisor Approval Form will receive registration confirmation by email showing a charge of $199. Please disregard this charge if you are a public laboratory employee funded by the NIJ Award. When WVU Extended Learning receives the Supervisor Approval Form, you will receive class access information by email within 5 business days. If you are not notified, please contact WVU Extended Learning at (800) 253-2762 or (304) 293-7570.

Private or Federal Employees:  Register online through our secure server or fill out this form and fax or mail it to Extended Learning. You will be given class access by email within five working days. Call 1-800-2Learn2, or email WVUEnrich@mail.wvu.edu if you have any questions. Major credit cards and electronic checks are accepted.

*This class will NOT be offered to the general public due to the nature of the material covered

Refund Policy
A $30 processing fee will be charged to the individual for any student that does not access or finish the class in the time allotted.

All requests for cancellations/refunds must be in writing.  Requests must be made within one week from when the class access information was emailed to the student.  Mail to:  WVU Extended Learning, P.O. Box 6800, Morgantown, WV, 26506 or email to WVUEnrich@mail.wvu.edu