Boom 2012 Drug Analysis Results

[endlessness]

I came back from Boom Festival in portugal where we were working with analysing different samples


Samples Overview

Total samples tested - 435

MDMA - 194
LSD - 62
Cocaine - 28
Ketamine - 22
2-CB - 21
Amphetamine - 19
Mushrooms - 7
Mescaline - 5
DMT - 3
GHB - 3
MXE - 2
2-CE, 5-MeO-MIPT, 5-MeO-DALT, AMT. Butylone, Mephedrone, Methylone, Heroin, PCP - 1 each

Plus several "unknowns" which people found on the floor or similar.

Warnings

We have received some samples that were sold as something other than what it actually was. Some of those samples posed a risk and therefore it's important to call special attention to them:

GHB

Very caustic, pH 14

Two of the three GHB samples analysed had a pH of 14. In the synthesis of GBL to GHB, if there is not a very strong care with molar calculations when using sodium hydroxide, the resulting product can have excess base and be dangerous for consumption. If people ingested that GHB or got it on their skin or eyes, they could have had serious damage. We recommended those people (or anybody ingesting GHB without measuring the pH beforehand) to dissolve it in acidic drink to neutralize any excess base

LSD

DOx sold as LSD - 24+ hours trip

We have tested a blue microdot that was being sold in the festival, they were not LSD, they were one of the DOx substances (we did not want to affirm for sure which since we didnt have the standards of all of them but it was definitely a DOx). Appart from having really long effects, the safety if taking multiple doses is unknown, so we adviced people to either not take or if they still wanted, we gave all the information we had, told them to have a sitter, consume only one dose, and proceed at their own risk.

Appart from these blue microdots and one blotter with an unknown substance (Not DOx, not nbomes) all other LSD samples were either nothing at all or they were just LSD.

MDMA

mCPP, PMA, paracetamol, methylchlopramide and/or caffeine in different samples - increased side effects and toxicity

While most MDMA samples (more than 70% of samples) were relatively pure with no adulterants, we have found different MDMA pills and powders that contained piperazine derivative mCPP, methylchlopramide (added to reduce nausea of mCPP but actually creates more nausea and side effects), and PMA (very toxic amphetamine derivative, related to several deaths around europe). We have also received supposed MDMA samples with unknown substances inside that might or might not be toxic.

Cocaine

Levamisole and Phenacetin - High toxicity

Appart from the less-toxic caines added to mimic cocaine numbing, and caffeine for stimulant effects, the most worrying data comes from the other aforementioned substances: Around 80% of cocaine samples contained levamisole and/or phenacetin. Both these substances are highly toxic, have been forbidden in several countries since they can affect the immune system as well as red blood cells, create vasculitis, be damaging to the liver, etc etc.

Mescaline

25I-NBOME

We received one supposed mescaline blotter which was 25I-NBOME. We tried to inform people about it being a new substance with unknown risks but desirable for some. We also informed people that mescaline does not fit in blotters.

Ketamine

MXE

We have received a couple of ketamine samples that were actually methoxetamine. While this substance is desired by some, it also lasts longer, and there are several reports of experienced ketamine users having bad trips with methoxetamine, so we warned people to dose low if they wanted to consume it. We also received a couple of ketamine samples which had azosemide, a diuretic, possibly added by some dealer who wanted to counteract the negative bladder effects of ketamine by making people piss more?


Conclusion: Please test your substances if possible if you are not extracting/synthesizing yourself.

This is it for now, I gotta go. Feel free to ask any questions

 

[SnozzleBerry]

Awesome work bruthaman

Keep it up :thumb_up:

 

[a1pha]

Amazing work, endlessness. It is my hope that this kind of resource be available at each event without fear of arrest. Hats off to you for this potentially life-saving service.

:thumb_up: :thumb_up:

-a1pha

 

[Pup Tentacle]

Yes, well done.

 

[Wax]

:thumb_up: Thank you sir, you are doing great work!

I wish they had this kind of thing in America.:?

 

[teotenakeltje]

Very nice of you to invest your time in this! This should be done on every festival...
Is it because Portugal is pretty tolerant regarding drugs that you were able to do those tests? Do you think this would be possible on other happenings in Europe? And could you explain how you go about testing those substances, I mean how long does it take, how much of a substance does it take to perform the test, etc...?
Thanks for answering

 

[Shaolin]

I am talking general here, end correct me if wrong.

Very nice of you to invest your time in this! This should be done on every festival...
Is it because Portugal is pretty tolerant regarding drugs that you were able to do those tests?

This is done by various harm reduction organizations around Europe but usually on a local level. It is not limited to Portugal.

Do you think this would be possible on other happenings in Europe?

I am sure that if organizers would reach out around EU, one group would come. Money can be a problem since there a certain things that need to available in order to get optimal testing conditions. Also travel expenses.

And could you explain how you go about testing those substances

Color tests and TLC the most common types. You can read about it here.

And could you explain how you go about testing those substances, I mean how long does it take

15 minutes ?

how much of a substance does it take to perform the test, etc...?

1/2-1 blotter, 50-100mg of powder.

Additional PDFs:
www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/mdma_emcdda_testing1.pdf
www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/mdma_emcdda_testing2.pdf
www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/mdma_emcdda_testing3.pdf

:thumb_up: Thank you sir, you are doing great work!

I wish they had this kind of thing in America.:?

The kind of do - Bunk Police.

However the only do colometric tests.

 

[endlessness]

Yeah the fact that personal use is decriminalized opens up the oportunity for this to be done without legal problems.

We have used thin layer chromatography (how it works in my signature), together with colorimetric reagents to confirm identity of spots. We brought standards (a solution containing a pure known substance) of the most common substances and the adulterants we knew we would find, to make the work of identifying samples easier. As for the testing, we opened from 8pm to 4am every day. We would be around 10 people working at a time, 6 outside taking samples and answering questions about drugs, and 4 inside the lab. We would take a small amount of the sample (5-10mg, or a quarter of a blotter), give the person a ticket with their number, and they could come back in around 2 hours for the results.

There are organizations doing analysis regularly for free or cheap in parties or receiving samples locally in Spain (ailaket, energy control), Portugal (check in), Austria (check it!), Belgium (Modus Vivendi), Holland (DIMS/jellinek), Switzerland (Eve and Rave and safer party). All of those work at least with Thin Layer Chromatography, but also some with LC-MS, GC-MS or even NMR (all of which are much more precise when telling what is the substance as opposed to simple color reagents that are very limited). In Boom festival in the analysis stand we were a mix of people from different organizations from around europe, some of those mentioned above and others that were not mentioned since they dont do analysis but only informing/harm reduction work, like technoplus from France and a few other organizations.

In USA I came across a website of an organization called Bunk Police, they are an organization going to parties and doing harm reduction information and some tests, but it seems they only use simple color reagents like marquis, which is very limited specially with substances that are in a mix. They also sell marquis reagent. Dancesafe.org also sell different kind of these reagents but again, by themselves they are pretty limited if the substance is not pure but a mix. In USA there is also ecstasydata.org which you can send substances to them, it costs 40 dollars per ecstasy pill or 120 dollars for other drugs to be tested.

In canada, tripproject may also help finding colorimetric reagents. But again, they have their limits, unless used together with thin layer chromatography, then it's very good. In australia these reagents should also be commonly available, in the colorimetric thread link in my signature there are some addresses and more info.

In the near future hopefully easy-to-use thin layer chromatography kits will be available for all those interested in testing their own substances at home. Stay tuned

 

[DeMenTed]

Thanks endlessness!!

 

[Ice House]

WoW! this is awesome! Wonderful work!

 

[SHroomtroll]

Did you test any hoffman blotters? We had two different ones, one kind was bunk and tasteless.

the other was bitter but felt like decent lsd.

 

[endlessness]

Yes we tested several hofmann blotters, I remember one of them had nothing inside, it was just paper, and another that was LSD.

 

[Yerba]

Really good work that you're doing. Keep those kids safe!

 

[Vodsel]

Congratulations, endlessness. Amazing work you guys are doing. I wish I had been able to be there

 

[Luuk]

Thanks a lot endlessness! Didn't know it was you who tested my LSD on Boom
All the drugs me and my friends bought at Boom were really good.
Do you know how much of the LSD you tested was actually LSD and how much was crap (DOx etc.)?

 

[endlessness]

HEre's what our final report says:

" 65 samples of LSD were analysed in several presentations: blotters, liquid and microdots. Mostsamples of LSD were free of adulteration, but in 9 samples no LSD was detected. Five of those times was a blue microdot with a DOx substance, with effects lasting more than 24 hours. In two different presentations (two liquids and one blotter) were detected unknown substances and in one blotter no psychoactive substance was found. Also in three samples some impurities were detected due to an unfinished synthesis. The risks associated to these impurities are unknown."

I remember the one without anything was a hofmann (though there were also hofmanns with LSD), I dont remember the blotter with unknown substance, Ill try to find out, but it was not any nbome nor DOx.

 

[Rivea]

I hope that with testing like this that people providing substances will be put on notice to honestly disclose what they are providing to people. This has always been somewhat problematic even decades back, but with the abundance of RC's it seems that there is even more likelihood that LSD is not LSD especially. It used to be that other stuff was usually just diluted by inert 'cut'.

Anyway Endlessness, thanks for doing this work. Hopefully it will end up reducing the 'bunk' and increase amount of the good stuff that is available.

 

[Dr_Sister]

May the light without end shine on you Endlessness.

Especially given all the PMMA deaths reported out west earlier this year

CN AB: Cops Declare No Amnesty For Ecstasy - Rave.ca

www.rave.ca

Go team!
Sistah

 

[Kash]

I really want your job endlessness, analyzing psychoactives from festivals and getting paid? So lucky.

 

[endlessness]

Who says im getting paid and thats my day job?

But yeah its very rewarding to do, since its interesting personally and it helps others