Couldn't a pain killer show up as cocaine?
Hey I didn't even know him so I can't say that he couldn't have done coke, but I am still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Or does cocaine read differently on a toxicology report? Any experts out there?
depending if the screen was from blood (serum), urine or hair analysis the thing measured is usually the metabolite.. or the breakdown product of the drug.. sometimes its the actual level of the drug and sometimes it's even more complicated than that... it measures levels of stuff that is in your body that is lower than it should be... because the drug makes your body think it's making too much of something... like testosterone or growth hormone.
urine specimens are notoriously inaccurate for drug testing and are used as a "screen" for more intense testing if positive... or so I've heard...
Cocaine is *not* an opiate, therefore narcotics would not show up as cocaine in a toxicology report. I am sure the report is accurate.