Articles

What is the legal status of drug testing reagent kits? Are they illegal or is it OK to purchase them?

Andres Ciudad

This is a typical misconception. Drug testing reagents such as marquis, ehrlich, mandelin and mecke are perfectly legal. The fact that these reagents can be used to detect illegal drugs does not mean the reagents themselves are illegal. Think of it as any drug paraphernalia (e.g. smoking pipe, cannabis grinder, etc.)  The content of these reagents can be easily found on the internet, even on wikipedia. You'll see that all ingredients can be easily purchased (either in neighborhood drugstores or from lab suppliers). However, if you'd feel more comfortable (for personal discretion purposes), we can always ship the kits in stealth...


Can testing reagents (Ehrlich or Hofmann) detect the quantity or concentration of LSD in a paper blotter?

Andres Ciudad

LSD-detection reagents (typically Ehrlich and Hofmann) will allow you to qualitatively detect if there is LSD present in the blotter, as well as help you to rule out the main adulterants for this substance (i.e. 25INBOMe and alike). Unfortunately it is not possible to detect the quantity of LSD present in a blotter. Currently, blotters usually contain 100 micrograms of LSD, which is a reasonable psychedelic dose (a microdose would be 10 micrograms, a large dose 200-300 mcg, etc.). Of course, during the first time using a batch of LSD it is advisable to start with 1/4 or 1/2 of a...


Brief introduction to drugs of abuse and Smplest Drug Testing

Andres Ciudad

The World Health Organization defines a drug as a chemical substance that has known biological effects on humans or animals, foods being excluded from this definition. In this sense, humans have always searched for psychoactive drugs (natural or synthetic) with the capability of altering the central nervous system, giving rise to new subjective perceptions of reality, as well as changes in mood and normal human interaction. Psychoactive drugs can have many different effects, ranging from stimulation to psychedelia or sedation, among others, and can have potential for abuse, due to the “pleasurable” nature of the effects they elicit. Currently, the...


Harm Reduction - The Future

Andres Ciudad

Harm Reduction - The Future

What is harm reduction? A position statement from Harm Reduction International Harm reduction refers to policies, programmes and practices that aim to reduce the harms associated with the use of psychoactive drugs in people unable or unwilling to stop. The defining features are the focus on the prevention of harm, rather than on the prevention of drug use itself, and the focus on people who continue to use drugs. Harm reduction began to be discussed frequently after the threat of HIV spreading among and from injecting drug users was first recognised. However, similar approaches have long been used in many...