Last Updated: February 13, 2023

A participant from Boulder, Colorado has notified DanceSafe that a white powder with “some chunks” was sold as ketamine, but triggered a response for MDA (“Sass”), amphetamine, and potentially ketamine. Regarding the test results for the sample (pictured left), the participant stated:

“As you can see, with the Simon, we saw a dark area, which indicated MDMA, MDE, meth or PMMA, but it was only a small dot of whatever reacted, most of it was non-reactive. The non-reaction with that, and the reactions with other substances implied MDA. The Folin reacted, but I’m not sure what it reacted with, the colors are rather similar. The Mandelin had a bit of orange in the reaction, so we suspect trace amounts of ketamine based off of that, but quite a bit of an MD[xx] substance. Regardless, it is clear there were several drugs represented in this sample.”

This instance highlights the importance of using more than one reagent when analyzing a substance. We suggest using at least a standard four-panel, which will give you more information to determine what substance is most prevalent in a sample. Remember the limits of reagent drug checking: you cannot test for purity or potency. Just because a sample tests positive does not mean it is safe.

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 origin. Always test before you ingest to avoid ingesting highly adulterated or misrepresented substances. Purchase your DanceSafe drug checking kit here.

If you test a misrepresented substance, submit your drug checking results to us to be featured in a #TestIt Alert.

Since 1998, DanceSafe has been keeping the electronic music and nightlife communities safe and healthy. As a 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!