Drug Metabolites form the basis for urinalysis for drug testing

Drug

Metabolites

Duration

Ethanol

Water, carbon dioxide, acetic acid*

Not suitable for drug tests

Morphine

 Morphine-6-glucuronide

Metabolites are interchangeable. Tests will detect morphine, codeine & metabolites. Simultaneous appearance of codeine and morphine indicate recent heroin use. Even poppy seeds will produce a positive test.

Heroin 

Morphine 

Acetylcodeine (a component of street heroin)

codeine 

 Cocaine

Benzoylecgonine 

48 hours, and much longer (up to 2 weeks) in chronic users.

 Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), active drug in marijuana

11-nor-9-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocanna-binol
(THC-COOH) 

30-60 hours, longer in obese individuals. Chronic users have persistently positive urine tests for THC metabolites, even for a month after cessation of smoking.