Testing Human Hair for Drugs of Abuse. I. Individual Dose and Time Profiles of Morphine and Codeine in Plasma, Saliva, Urine, and Beard Compared to Drug-Induced Effects on Pupils and Behavior*

Abstract

The time course of appearance of morphine and codeine in beard after single dose administration in two human subjects was monitored by radioimmunoassay and confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Both morphine and codeine appeared in beard approximately 7-8 days after drug administration at a time when drug levels in urine, plasma, and saliva were not detectable and drug-induced effects had disappeared. Drug levels in beard appeared to be dose-related suggesting that hair analysis can provide evidence of time and degree of drug exposure.