Methamphetamine found cut with urea

[turkeyphant]

Halfway down the lastest Microgram Bulletin (URL redirection through google to avoid referrals) reports that meth is being found cut with urea in the Western US and Alaska:

The DEA Western Laboratory (San Francisco, California) recently received an off-white crystalline substance wrapped in a clear plastic baggie, suspected methamphetamine (no photo). The exhibit was acquired in West Valley City, Utah, by agents from the DEA Salt Lake City Office (circumstances unavailable). Analysis of the substance (total net mass not provided) by FTIR, GC/MS, and NMR confirmed 13 percent methamphetamine hydrochloride, dimethyl sulfone, and urea. This is at least the seventh submission of methamphetamine samples cut with urea to the DEA Western Laboratory. Similar samples have been submitted over the past few months from Murray City, American Fork, and Layton, Utah, Anchorage, Alaska, Mount Vernon, Washington, and most recently from San Francisco, California. It is quickly becoming a more common trend.

[Analyst’s Comments: The presence of urea in methamphetamine is of interest because the compound is not easily detected on GC/FID or GC/MS (it is sometimes observed as a low hill near the baseline, with only a few low mass fragments). In the above case, urea was identified in the methylene chloride insolubles by FTIR and NMR. Of further interest, urea does not interfere with either the Marquis or sodium nitroprusside color tests.]