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Urine and Blood Testing in Broward County

Many clients call us after submitting to a urine test in Broward County, FL. The urine test is often requested by a probation officer while a person is serving time on probation. False positives for controlled substances are common in these cases. 

The urine test might also be requested by the arresting officer after a DUI arrest. To legally request the test, the officer must have reasonable suspicion that the subject is under the influence of a chemical or controlled substance. 

Attorney for Urine and Blood Testing in Broward County, FL

If you were accused of a crime such as DUI which involved a urine test in Broward County or a violation of probation involving a positive reading on a urine test in West Palm Beach, FL, then contact an experienced attorney at Meltzer & Bell.

With offices conveniently located in Fort Lauderdale for Broward County and West Palm Beach for Palm Beach County, FL, we are ready to begin your defense today. 

Our attorneys are experienced in working with experts in these cases including the toxicologist, the pharmacodynamics, or the pharmacist. We are also experienced in fighting DUI cases involving a urine test using Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry.

Call the experienced criminal defense attorneys for drug-related criminal crimes in Broward County, FL, and the surrounding areas in South Florida.

Call (954) 765-6585 today to discuss your case. 


How is a Urine or Blood Sample Tested in Florida?

The arresting officer or sometimes a probation officer can request a test for a urine sample. The official will usually submit a work request. Your attorney will check the form to see whether the officer requested testing for the presence of certain chemical or controlled substances.

The sample is then inventoried and your attorney can obtain the chain of custody form or forms. A urine test usually involves the following types of testing:

  • a presumptive test using an immunoassay drug screen (ELISA); and
  • confirmatory testing using Gas Chromatography and MassSpectrometryor (GC/MS) and sometimes LC/MS.

What is GC/MS for Urine Testing in Florida?

Gas Chromatography & Mass Spectrometry involves separating, identifying, and quantifying chemical or controlled substances. Many urine and blood tests for the presence of chemical or controlled substances involve the Gas Chromatography & Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). By comping these two processes it reduces the possibility of error because it is less likely that two different molecules will behave in the same way in both the GC and MS.


What is Gas Chromatograph (GC)
  • GC separates different components of a mixture into molecules by using a gas such as helium.
  • GC identifies substances by the by time it takes to travel through the column.
  • GC cannot differentiate between molecules that happen to have the same retention time.

Mass Spectrometer (MS)

MS bombards the molecules and fragments them. The time and quantity of breakup is recorded into a graph using a mass-to-charge ratio. MS requires a very pure sample. For MS testing, every substance has a distinct spectrum or pattern. 


How Long Does a Drug Stay in the Blood or Urine?

The detection windows for controlled substances in the blood or urine are listed below:

  • Ethanol (Alcohol) eliminates at a rate of 1 drink per hour and in the urine in 1-24 hours
    • Ethyl Glucuronide eliminates in the urine at a rate of 1-3 days
  • Cannabinoids (Marijuana or Cannabis) 
    • THC, THC-COOH 
      • Occasional User in the blood for 1-3 days and in the urine for 1-14 days
      • Frequent User in the blood for 1-4 days and in the urine for 1-30 days
  • Cocaine in the blood for 1-8 hours and in the urine for 1-4 days
    • Cocaine
    • Benzoylecgonine
    • Cocaethylene 
  • Acetaminophen in blood for 1-10 hours and the urine for 1-2 days
  • Amphetamines in blood for 1-5 days and the urine for 1-5 days
    • Amphetamine
    • Methamphetamine
    • MDMA 
  • Barbiturates in the blood for 1-30 days
    • Short-Acting in the urine for 1-3 days
      • Pentobarbital 
      • Secobarbital 
    • Intermediate-Acting in the urine for 1-5 days
      • Amobarbital
      • Butabarbital 
      • Butalbital 
    • Long-Acting in the urine for 1-30 days
      • Phenobarbital    
  • Benzodiazepines in the blood for 1-6 days and in the urine for 1-10 days
    • Chlordiazepoxide (Librium®)
    • Alprazolam (Xanax®)
    • Alpha-hydroxyalprazolam
    • Diazepam (Valium)
    • Lorazepam (Ativan®)
    • Nordiazepam (Madar)
    • Oxazepam (Serax®)
    • Temazepam (Restoril™)
    • Clonazepam (Klonopin®)
    • 7-Aminoclonazepam 
  • Buprenorphine/ Norbuprenorphine in the blood for 1-10 days and in the urine for  1-10 days
  • Fentanyl/ Norfentanyl in the blood in 1-2 days and in the urine in 1-4 days
  • Gabapentin (Neurontin®) in the blood in 1-48 hours and in the urine for 1-4 days
  • Methadone/EDDP in the blood in 1-10 days and in the urine in 1-10 days
  • Opiates in the blood for 1-24 hours and in the urine for 1-4 days
    • Codeine – 6-MAM 
    • Morphine
    • Hydrocodone
    • Hydromorphone
    • Oxycodone
    • Oxymorphone 

 This article was last updated on Friday, November 3, 2017.

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