Please note: there will be a brief board meeting at 5:30pm to discuss the 2017 SMSI award recipient

6:00 PM: Thai food and beverages ~ Tariff (if eating) $15.00

Contact Freddie Smith for Reservations / Cancellations at 312-842-7100 or Freddie@mcri.org by Noon THURSDAY, November 17, 2016

7:00 PM: Presentation
Since the 1930's crime laboratories have identified the marihuana plant (Cannabis sativa L.) through microscopical examination of its botanical characteristics and a secondary, chemical test employing the Duquenois-Levine reagent. Quite recently, a popular trend has developed in which the cannabinoids (chiefly THC) have been extracted from the plant material to facilitate alternate usage and trafficking methods. Many modern instruments, including GC/MS, FTIR, TLC, have been employed to analyze these extractions; however, the polarized light microscope (PLM) may be a well-suited, overlooked instrument to perform this analysis. This talk will focus on the traditional, stereoscopic and chemical examination performed to identify the plant as well as a detailed description of the illicit extraction of the alkaloids and observations made with the polarized light microscope on said extracts.

Bio Sketch: Jim Dunlop is currently a Sergeant in the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office - Crime Laboratory (Kalamazoo, MI) where he works as a microscopist. The majority of the cases analyzed are controlled substances; however, Jim also works on microscopical examination of trace evidence items including, but not limited to: paint, polymers, fibers, and glass.

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