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| Ole Miss Works Toward Tracing Drug Origins |
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Posted by FoM on July 12, 2001 at 23:30:05 PT By Bill Robinson Source: Daily Mississippian 
The University of Mississippi’s National Center for Natural Products Research in the School of Pharmacy has started testing patented technology to trace marijuana back to the place where it was grown. Mahmoud ElSohly, a researcher at the NCNPR developed the technique that Kentucky State Police are helping test in an effort to “fingerprint” marijuana. If the technique is successful it will be used in areas of Tennessee and West Virginia. The technique uses hi-tech chemistry analysis to identify certain chemicals found in confiscated marijuana and searches for chemical markers that are unique to plants grown in different areas. The ability to use Ole Miss patented technology to distinguish the source of marijuana plants grown within a smaller region as opposed to a large foreign country known for marijuana trafficking, could be more difficult, said forensic expert Katrina Featherston, supervisor at the Kentucky State Police Forensics Crime Lab, in Frankfort, Ky. “When you have a common condensed area, you don’t always have a wide range of differences,” said Featherston, who works on the $6 million federally funded project. “Next year, we’ll have a better understanding of the technique’s feasibility based on the methods we’ve used. We really don’t have any answers right now.” Ole Miss, which owns the patent for the new technology, licensed it to the Kentucky State Police. The technique was developed as an “intelligence tool” for tracking down illegal Cannabis materials by analyzing the plant’s chemical profile, which is determined by the region’s climate and other growing conditions. A list has been compiled with a database of chemical profiles for various locations, including many foreign countries known for marijuana trafficking. Source: The Daily Mississippian (MS) CannabisNews - Cannabis Archives Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #16 posted by freedom fighter on July 15, 2001 at 12:49:53 PT |
| Can you sue them? For stealing your ideas?? I feel for you bro.. \/ [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #15 posted by lookinside on July 13, 2001 at 22:42:46 PT:
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| i'm no expert, but from what i've read...soils in different areas have different trace elements...selenium, boron, lead, for example...plants will absorb some of these, depending on concentrations in the soil...by the process of elimination a scientist could deduce where plants were not grown...if the combination of trace elements were unusual, they might be able to narrow down where the plants were grown to a small area...say a particular river valley for instance... getting any more specific than that would be tough, because [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #14 posted by Dan B on July 13, 2001 at 21:52:18 PT:
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| So, they think they can trace marijuana back to the exact location where it was grown, eh? Is this to say that there is no such thing as rain, which routinely washes dirt from one part of the country into quite another part via rivulets, brooks, ditches, streams and rivers; thus there can be no mistaking that dirt used to grow marijuana came from one specific place and was not moved from one place to another via natural means? Is this to say that climate changes cannot be mimicked by watering plants when it is not raining (a common practice) or, as others have already pointed out, growing indoors with grow lights? What if someone in the next county decides to dig up some soil from your yard for use in the growing of cannabis when you are away from home? Will the police go after you or the guy in the next county when they determine that the soil came from your yard? And, really, how on earth could they possibly narrow it down that far in the first place? This all sounds like a plot to convince the public that guesses are incontrovertible proof--yet another ploy to make innocent people into guilty people. Is this "new technology" now going to force out of business all companies that sell soil for "fear" that their products may be used in the cultivation of cannabis? Dan B [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #13 posted by lookinside on July 13, 2001 at 20:25:13 PT:
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| i have 3 cars...let me know when you print them... when trying to comprehend numbers i like to write em out... $15000000000....$15,000,000,000... that's alot of zeros...joe sixpack with his $500 paycheck [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #12 posted by CorvallisEric on July 13, 2001 at 15:55:55 PT |
| Didn't someone say that this board uses the Ezboard codes for italics, etc? Or do we use HTML codes like italic . No need to answer if "italic" is in italic. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #11 posted by CorvallisEric on July 13, 2001 at 15:51:48 PT |
| As Steven Tuck said, this takes a common lab technique and applies it to forensics, using correlation. Obvious to anyone "skilled in the art" and not deserving of a patent, but that's a different issue. The newspaper article oversimplifies as usual, making it seem more effective than it probably is. [i]... identify certain chemicals found in confiscated marijuana and searches for chemical markers that are unique to plants grown in different areas.[/i] My problem is with [i]certain chemicals[/i] and [i]unique[/i]. In reality it's more like "if the dog barks ...". Still, it should provide clues, and one day when the Madness ends, this may be useful or at least interesting, like other research from U-Miss. Now the real problem: neither the article nor the patent (see comment #3) mention anything about genetics. [i]... analyzing the plant’s chemical profile, which is determined by the region’s climate and other growing conditions. [/i] [i]Next year, we’ll have a better understanding of the technique’s feasibility based on the methods we’ve used. We really don’t have any answers right now.[/i] I hereby predict either of these next year: dddd, you're right, color this taxpayer ddddisgusted, also. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #10 posted by FoM on July 13, 2001 at 09:41:22 PT |
| jacksplace58, Thank you for asking. The wounds are healing nicely. So far so good. I am watching for any signs of infection but the tea tree oil must have really helped. The Doctor was surprised how well it looked as deep as the punctures were. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #9 posted by Steven Tuck on July 13, 2001 at 08:09:08 PT:
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| I thought he was referring to our gel-electropharyris studies that the Sheriff of Humboldt stole for him. I was never aware that a patent existed for doing GC/MS for identifying origin, since this is a common lab technique also I always assumed that all scientist gassed their samples for content and pollution control. Considering the open and free movement of Cannabis seeds acros borders in the last 20 years it's so mixed up it will take real researchers years to sort out and I believe it's beyond a gov't lickspittle to do. i still do not think it's ethical for the only gov't research lackey with access to get a patent for ID of cannabis. I sure don't recognise it. Steven Tuck,MS CEO HRI [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #8 posted by dddd on July 13, 2001 at 07:57:52 PT |
| words of wisdom Haze.......I just had to flip out and vent in my tirade #2....It's just that I sometimes cannot believe the huge amounts of money that are tossed about wrecklessly, with zero accountability..... ..It's healthy to freak out once and a while cheers....dddd [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #7 posted by Steven Tuck on July 13, 2001 at 07:47:33 PT:
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| That's MY RESEARCH HE'S USING. They got a lot of gall, those punks stole my research at gunpoint and gave it to him and I have court documents to PROVE it. How can they ever hope to patent a commonly used lab techniques applid in new ways? It's a joke, hell while going to school in Ky. I obtained genetics from all over the world and mixed it with native cultivars to produce medicine to stay alive and for others to live. They couldn't test for crap, they were using dogs to see if they got sick as a test for THC not many years ago. I knew he was stupid but I didn't think they would resort to this.....I bet it's not long before he announces that he's suddenly discovered new species and he's also figured out how to grow it next? I guess they could always make me go work at UMiss after they have put me away. Steven Tuck,MS CEO HRI [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by TroutMask on July 13, 2001 at 07:37:20 PT |
| They will be able to separate confiscated MJ into two piles: Mexican and home grown (schwag and kind bud). How revealing! -TM [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by Haze on July 13, 2001 at 06:52:30 PT |
| What a bunch of retards they are!!!! Don't worry guys and gals, a large percentage of MJ is grown Hydroponicaly these days and Hydro is better quality! So by them searching for chemical comparisons all they'll do is force us all to grow Hydro and up the quality after all you add as much or as little chemicals as you like in Hydroponics so all they'll be able to tell is that it was grown Hydroponicaly somewhere in the world! Hell it could have been grown abord the ISS for all they know cause they're doing Hydroponics studies at the mo! In response to dddd's comment on money spent, If feel ya man but you gota realise that countries run on corruption (I'm sure they don't have to but they do)! Its all polotics my friend at it goes on every day to the tune of billions apon billions of wasted $ and £! No ones shocked cause deep down we know about it but feel helpless to stop it (well I do anyway!) all we can do is not turn into those corrupt B******* and be carefull where we spend our cash! PEACE! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by rabblerouser on July 13, 2001 at 05:18:21 PT |
| Maybe they will find out that some of it is coming from Mars. Ninety percent of the Universe is hydrogen; without too much trouble, they should be able to narrow the search. If they would dig up Charles Darwin, they could have him help. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by CorvallisEric on July 13, 2001 at 05:12:38 PT |
| If anyone's interested, it's U.S.Patent 5,252,490 issued on October 12, 1993. I may have more to say about it after I study it - too sleepy now. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by dddd on July 13, 2001 at 04:11:43 PT |
| ......Pardon my obscured expletives,,,,but this kinda crap really makes my ass fry!,,,,,,,now I know that it is stupid to get bent about a mere 6 million bucks being spent to find out where the dirt it was grown in is,,,,,after all,,a wimpy 6 million is less than 5 percent of last years Plan Colombia budget,(I'm too impatient to do the exact math),,,,,but when I think of the gargantuan Megalon amounts of cash,that is being lobbed into all these drug war black holes,,,it makes my blood boil!!!......What do you suppose just One Billion could do for schools? Maybe we could start paying teachers at least as much as the postman. Next year they want FIFTEEN BILLION to fund the secret sham in Is it just me?,,,,or is there something very disturbing about the fact The only basic explanation I can come up with,,is my usual poisoned news That's what it's like,,but even worse.Our wayward Uncle Sham cant even O.K.,,,,,I'm through freaking......I designed a new bumper sticker earlier..
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| Comment #1 posted by jacksplace58 on July 13, 2001 at 03:10:44 PT |
| FoM,..hows the bite coming?......everytrhing ok?. [ Post Comment ] |
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