In this series of posts we are going to examine this seemly simple question: What is the goal and the purpose of testing of unknowns generally? How do we best design a test for marijuana? How is most marijuana testing conducted in the United States? What is microscopic morphological examination? Is it a “good” test? […]
The myth of specific identification of Marijuana in criminal court Part 3: What is microscopic morphological examination? Is it a “good” test?
In this series of posts we are going to examine these seemly simple questions: What is the goal and the purpose of testing of unknowns generally? How do we best design a test for marijuana? How is most marijuana testing conducted in the United States? What is microscopic morphological examination? Is it a “good” test? […]
The myth of specific identification of Marijuana in criminal court Part 2: How is most marijuana testing conducted in the United States?
In 2006, more than 829,000 people were arrested in this country for marijuana-related offenses alone. Since 1937 with the passage and adoption of the Marihuana Tax Act, marijuana has been effectively prohibited in the United States. Literally millions upon millions of people have been accused of possessing marijuana. The question becomes are these convictions scientifically […]
The myth of specific identification of Marijuana in criminal court Part 1: What is the goal and the purpose testing of unknowns generally?
In many courtrooms all across the United States today, a state analyst opines under oath that a unknown leafy green vegetable like substance is in fact marijuana. The question becomes, in the typical case, is this a valid conclusion? Is it the whole scientific truth? In this series of posts we are going to examine […]
The myth of specific identification of Marijuana in criminal court
In courts all across the United States evidence is presented in the prosecution of those charged with possession (either misdemeanor or felony) that the green vegetable substance seized is in fact marijuana. The way that this is typically presented in the courtroom is as an absolute and as a specific qualitative measurement. This series of […]
First, let’s educate all of the lawyers
The great Bard once penned: All: God save your majesty! Cade: I thank you, good people—there shall be no money; all shall eat and drink on my score, and I will apparel them all in one livery, that they may agree like brothers, and worship me their lord. Dick: The first thing we do, let’s […]
Born on Date– Not Just for Beer But Gas Cylinders Too
Beer Born On Date Everyone wants to eat fresh food as opposed to stale food. No one wants to drink skunked beer. So, we have born-on dates on certain foods and foodstuff. This allows us to judge whether or not we want to accept it and drink/eat it. Carrier gas purity is a big issue […]
The Problem of Modern Forensic Science: Novices can become experts at the push of a button
I have lamented before about the horrible state of affairs that has developed in modern forensic science and in particular instrumentation. As an industry, the machine manufacturers seek to automate and make these processes so simple that they no longer require true understanding of the underlying science or the process that makes the machine do […]
Limitations of Forensic Odontology
In the past, we have blogged on the severe limitations on pattern recognition as a forensic science discipline. (Pattern Recognition is it Science or an Art?). In fact, the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences pointed to one form a pattern recognition as being most problematic: forensic odontology. Most broadly defined, it is […]
Standards, Controls, Calibrators, and Verifiers, Oh my…
Lions and Tigers and Bears… Verifiers, Calibrators and Controls… Oh my! Sometimes a criminal defense attorney can at times feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz in that we are transported from the relative safety of home (the courtroom) to the weird world of Oz (the laboratory). There are unusual and often times conflicting […]
Why single column Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detector analysis is not forensically or scientifically acceptable
There is a large difference between a single column analysis and a dual column analysis when it comes to the ability to most correctly identify and quantitate an unknown in the scientific world. In forensic science, we are constantly testing unknowns. What is meant by this is that we have a sample that is seized […]
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