Last Updated: February 13, 2023

By: DanceSafe Staff

A community member has submitted information to DanceSafe regarding a substance sourced in Jacksonville, FL that is being marketed and sold as “Blue Molly” (MDMA), described as “a very light almost tealish blue crystalline substance.” The submitter used only the Marquis reagent, which reacted fluorescent yellow, indicating it was likely a synthetic cathinone (or “bath salt”) such as methylone, ethylone, or butylone.

While using one reagent is better than not testing your drugs at all, DanceSafe advocates for, and highly recommends, the use of at least a standard 4-panel when testing substances. It is important to keep in mind that drug checking reagents only test for the presence of a substance, NOT for the purity or potency.

By using more than one reagent, you are able to decrease the likelihood of false positives. If you take a look at the DanceSafe drug checking reaction chart, you will see that when using only a Marquis reagent one could easily mistake 5-APB or 6-APB as an MDxx compound because they have similar reactions. Furthermore, MDMA and MDA react identically with Marquis, Mecke, and Mandelin, leaving the Simon reagent to be the determining factor in distinguishing the presence of these two substances.

All in all, this is a great reminder that while reagent drug checking is a great first line of defense, it does have its limitations and primarily serves to help individuals avoid ingesting misrepresented and highly adulterated substances. By utilizing reagent drug checking, individuals have the opportunity to learn more about the substance(s) in question and implement practical harm reduction strategies if they choose to consume.

We urge our community to keep in mind that drug markets are expansive and these substances may appear in locations other than the submission’s origins. Always test before you ingest to avoid ingesting misrepresented substances. Purchase your DanceSafe drug checking kit here.

If you test a misrepresented substance, please submit it to testit@dancesafe.org to be featured in a #TestIt Alert.

Since 1998, DanceSafe has been keeping the electronic music and nightlife communities safe. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we provide free harm reduction services at music festivals and nightlife events across the nation. All proceeds from the sales of our drug checking kits go back into the organization so we can continue to provide our services in our communities for free. By purchasing a kit, you are not only helping keep you and your friends safe, you are also contributing to the harm reduction movement. Thank you for your support!