MORE TO KNOW MONITORING DRUGSCREENS

Kava Kava will not show up on drug tests due to the fact that the tests most organizations use do not look for it. If a drug screen identifies it, kava kava can be found in the urine, blood, or hair.

1. KavaKava.MountSinaiHealthSystem. https:// www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/kavakava. Accessed October 13, 2022.

https://www.natrol.com/products/kava-kavamood-stress-capsules?bvstate=pg:2/ct:r

Kava Kava is legal in the United Statesandissoldasadietary supplement.

Studies have shown that kava kava can reduce the symptoms of anxiety. It was significantly moreeffective when compared to a placebo. It has also been found to improve mood and cognitivefunction.

2. Kava.Kava-AlcoholandDrugFoundation. https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/kava/ #:~:text=Other%20names,and%20wati%20(New%2 0Guinea). Accessed October 13, 2022.

3. NN; SYNS. Therapeutic potential of kava in the treatment of anxietydisorders.CNSdrugs. https:// pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12383029/#:~:text=The% 20pharmacological%20properties%20of% 20kava,reduced%20neu ronal%20reuptake%20of% 20noradrenaline%20.Accessed October 13, 2022.

4. Singh YN, Singh NN. Therapeutic potential of kava in the treatment of anxiety disordersCNS drugs. SpringerLink. https:// link.springer.com/ article/10.2165/00023210-200216110-00002. Published August 29, 2012. Accessed October 13, 2022.

5. Is kava legal where I live? Kava laws around the world. Kava Guides.https://kavaguides.com/ kava-laws/.Published August 18, 2021. Accessed October 13, 2022.

6. DoesKavashowupondrugtests?KavaGuides. https://kavaguides.com/kava-drug-test/.

PublishedAugust 21, 2021. Accessed October 13, 2022.

Drug Name: Ketalar

Ketamine is typically produced commercially in many countries.

It is an injectable, short-acting anesthetic used in surgery. It’s considered a dissociative anesthetic that makes the user feel detached from their pain and environment. The patient’s vital signs need to be monitored closely by the anesthesiologist once administered for the procedure.

Ketamine comes in a clear liquid when injected, but it can also come in a white or off-white powder. The powdered form is packaged in small glass vials, bags, capsules.

It is abused for its ability to produce dissociative sensations and hallucinations and has been used to facilitate sexual assault.

• Special K

• Cat Valium

• Kit Kat

• K

• Super Acid

• Super K

• Purple

• Special La Coke

• Jet

• Vitamin K

Ketamine is a general anesthetic. These render patients reversibly unconscious and unresponsive. It prevents the patient from feeling pain and will likely cause some memory loss upon waking.

• Hallucinatory effects last 30-60 minutes

• Distorts sights and sounds

• Induces feelings of calmness and relaxation

• relief from pain

• immobility

• amnesia

• Reacts with other drugs that make you sleepy or slows your breathing; such as opioids, anxiety medications, sleeping pills, and muscle relaxers; making it take longer to wake from the anesthesia.

It is possible to test for the presence of ketamine metabolites in urine, blood, & hair. But ketamine is not standardly tested for in the basic drug test nor in extended drug tests.

The breakdown product of ketamine, norketamine, is detectable in blood and urine for 7-14 days.

Ketamine is a Schedule III substance under the Controlled Substances Act.

May cause: painful/difficult urination, increased urination, loss of bladder control, blood in urine, light-headed feeling, bradycardia, weak/shallow breathing, jerky muscle movements, confusion, or dream-like feeling.

• Prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products may also affect ketamine.

• 386 drugs are known to interact/affect ketamine, so all current medications need to be disclosed before use

Ketamine is a good and safe drug to use as an anesthetic for surgical operations. It almost always should be used in an operating room as it has the potential to be abused. It has recently been found to be helpful for treating depression though, so it could also be used in that manner as well.

~ C. Hardin

• Ketamine: Drug Testing. Erowid. Updated March 8, 2020. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/ketamine/ketamine_testing.shtml

• Ketamine. Just Think Twice. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://www.justthinktwice.gov/drugs/ketamine

• Ketamine. Drugs.com. Updated October 10, 2022. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://www.drugs.com/mtm/ketamine.html

• Ketamine Molecule Rainbow Chemistry Sticker. TeePublic. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://www.teepublic.com/sticker/12570586-ketaminemolecule-rainbow-chemistry

• Burness, A. Colorado Doctors' Group: Ketamine Safe, With More Oversight. EMSworld. Published December 3, 2021. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://www.hmpgloballearningnetwork.com/site/emsworld/news/colorado-doctors-group-ketamine-safe-more-oversight

AbyssinianTea,Chat,Catha,Oat

Khatisafloweringshrubscientifically knownasCathaedulis.Originally,Khat becameacceptedasaritualisticcustomin AfricanandArabianculture.Itsusedates backtothe13thcenturyinAbyssinia(also knownasEthiopia)andbroughttoYemen intheearly15thcentury.Itbecamealarge partofYemeniculturewhereitisusedin religiousandsocialsettings.InYemen, 90%ofmalesuseKhatmultipletimesdaily. 73%ofwomenandalmost20%ofchildren alsouseKhatonadailybasis.

Khatismostcommonlychewed.Youcanfindusersstuffingwadsofthisshrubintotheircheeks similartotobacco.Itcanalsobedriedandputintotea,incorporatedintofood,andsmoked.The globaldistributionhassharplyincreasedinthemoderneraduetothedevelopmentofcathinone (Khat’sactiveingredient)capsulesandothersyntheticformsofcathinone.

Manydifferentcompoundscanbeextractedfromthisplant.The mainactiveingredientinKhat,cathinone,isknowntocausea stimulated,euphoricstateofmind.ThemajoreffectsofKhatcome fromitsactiononthenervoussystemcausingincreasedalertness, dependance,tolerance,andotherpsychiatricsymptoms.Italsoacts onthegastrointestinaltractcausingconstipation,urineretention, andacutecardiovasculareffects.Cathinoneispharmacologically unstableandbeginstodecomposeoncetheplantisharvested.This iswhyfreshKhatleavesarepreferredamongitsusers.Itisbelievedthatothercompoundsinthis planthavebeenoverlookedandunderstudiedandarethoughttocontributetoKhat’svasteffects onthebody.Khatchewerswereshowntohaveincreaseddepressionandpsychologicaldistress duetotheirdependance.

Chronickhatusehasbeenshowntohaveeffectsonfetaldevelopmentandlactation.Pregnant mothersareatincreasedriskofbecominganemicduringpregnancy.Thedrugmayalsoreduce placentalbloodflowcausinglowerbirthweights.Itspsychoactiveeffectsmayalsocause increasedmotorandcognitivedysfunctionaswellasdependancetothefetus.

The gastrointestinal absorption of Khat is shown to decrease the bioavailability of certain antibiotics, thus making them less effective. Nicotine and caffeine increase the stimulatory effects of Khat. Concurrent use of these substances is common.

Khat is also known to cause increased blood pressure which may compete with antihypertensive medications.

The most serious adverse reactions to Khat include: depression, insomnia, suicidal ideation, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, numbness, severe migraines and difficulty concentrating.

Khat is illegal in the United States. Cathinone is classified as a Schedule I Stimulant and Cathine (another known active ingredient) is a Schedule IV stimulant under the Controlled Substance Act. This means there are no known medical uses with a high potential for abuse. Today, Khat consumption is limited to EastAfrica and SouthwesternArabia. It has been made illegal in nearly allArab Gulf states except for Yemen.

Cathionone and cathine can be detected in urine and picked up on a urine drug screen. Khat users should monitor for decreased cognitive function as well as abnormal heart rate.

Khat began as an accepted drug for religious and social matters. At that point it was just a plant and not widely accepted as a drug for abuse. With the modern production of cathinone tablets, we are seeing a dramatic increase in the distribution and abuse of this compound. With its many negative effects on the cardiovascular and nervous system, it is becoming an issue for the health and finances of specified countries. More research must be done to truly understand the effects of Khat’s compounds on the human body. ~

C. Hawkins

References

El-Menyar,A., Mekkodathil,A.,Al-Thani, H., &Al-Motarreb,A. (2015, March). Khat use: History and heart failure Oman medical journal. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4412450/#:~:text=Origin%20and%20spread%20of%20 khat%20use text

Griffiths, P., Lopez, D., Sedefov, R., Gallegos,A., Hughes, B., Noor,A., & Royuela, L. (2010, May 7). Khat use and monitoring drug use in Europe: The current situation and issues for the future Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037887411000303X?via%3Dihub

Home | dea.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Khat-2020_0.pdf

Lexicomp. Khat. Login. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2022.