Drugchecking

Coronavirus & drug checking§

Due to the corona measures, the method of the test services are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, visit the website of the testing facility in your area. Or look at www.drugs-test.nl

How does it work?§

You can check your drugs anonymously at the drug checking services in the Netherlands. By checking your drugs you know what substance(s) your drugs contain and also how much of them.

Quicktest (Marquistest)

• Only for pills and powders.
• For some pills such as ecstasy which can be matched to those in our database, there is a 50% chance you will get the results on the same day.
• If you hand in a powder you will get an indication of what your powder could contain, you can choose to send your powder to the lab for a full analysis.
• With a pill, a little bit is taken to perform the color test. You get back your pill afterwards.
• In addition to the color test, your pill will be measured and checked if it is on the list of pills tested in the laboratory.
• If your pill is on the list, you will get the results right away.
• If your pill is not on the list, you can send you pill to the laboratory for a full analysis (see below).

Labtest

• Your pill will be checked in the lab for active substances and amounts (with a powder, it’s about 150 miligrams, in a liquid about a tube [5 ml.].
• You will not get your pill / powder / liquid back.
• You’ll get the results after a week. For some drugs such as GHB and LSD it could take a little longer, you will get the results after 2 to 4 weeks.

For a more comprehensive explanation of drug checking, check out this article on drug checking.

What’s the price?§

This differs by location. Call the phone number of the location to find out.

Rules of drug checking§

• It is anonymous
• You may test 1 sample (pills, fluids or powders).
• No raw materials and anabolics are tested.
• Drug checking is only for consumers
• Parents, relatives, teachers or other non-consumers can not attend a drug checking service!
  They can call the Drugs Infolin 0900 – 1995 with questions about drugs.
• There is no testing for dealers or manufacturers; If you have more than 3 samples with you, they assume that you are a dealer and may not be of service to you!
  Note: Due to the wide variety of XTC pills, only 50% is immediately recognized by the quick test. The bulk of the pills must be sent to the lab.

It takes a week before you get your results!

So always check your drugs on time. Powders, liquids, capsules etc. always have to go to the lab for a full test, so keep in mind that there’s one week of waiting time. So if you have to test your drugs for a particular party, go to the drug checking service at least 2 weeks in advance.

Explanation of test results§

Results:

Why do you sometimes get a result in% and sometimes in mg?

With pills you get the results in milligrams (mg) so you know exactly how much is in that pill. Then you can decide how much of the pill you want to take. With powders you get the results as a percentage so you can easily calculate how much you want to take.

Why can a result never be 100%?

Drugs occur in different forms. The base form is the most pure form. For example basecoke/crack cocaine. This is just the molecule of the drug. The base from of a certain substance is not practical to use, that’s why many substances are found in the form of salt. Then there is an acid attached to the molecule. There are several acids that can be used. The most common are: hydrochloride, phosphate and sulphate. For example, MDMA in salt form is a hydrochloride. Speed ​​a sulphate.

Thus, the base form of substance is often not practical to use. For example, the base form of speed is a fluid. To make it more useful, an acid (base form + acid = salt form) is added which makes it a powder and dissolves better in water. This makes it easier to swallow or sniff.

For example:

MDMA base + acid part (hydrochloride) = salt form MDMA, also called MDMA hydrochloride (HCl).

The weight of each molecule differs, both of the agent and of the different acids. This is why each substance has its own maximum percentage. The maximum percentage is calculated by: weight of fabric / (weight of fabric + weight of acid).

These are the maximum percentages of the most common substances:

MDMA 84%
Cocaine 89%
Amphetamine 73%
4-FA 81%
2C-B 88%
Ketamine 87%

Recognized pills and spread

When a pill is recognized, you will hear the average result and the spread. The spread consists of the lowest and highest labresult of that pill. In practice, the spread is always greater. There are many pills in one batch, and not all of them will be checked. Therefore, keep in mind that the spread of your pills may be greater.

Some pills have a very large spread. For example a spread from 110-190 mg of MDMA. You do not know how much MDMA your pill contains. It could contain 110 mg, but also 140 mg or 190 mg or something in between. It’s better not to take the pill because you don’t know how much you will take. It might be too much.

What can not be tested?§

• Raw materials for drugs.
• Drugs you have purchased abroad (the drug checking services monitor the Dutch drug markets for acute hazardous drugs. Foreign drugs contaminate this monitor.
• Legal or tolerated drugs (for example, cannabis)
• Anabolics (For more information about anabolics, visit: www.ergogenics.org
• Medicines (For more information on medicines, visit www.apotheek.nl
• Very wet amphetamine (so bring it dry)
• There is no testing for dealers or manufacturers; If you have more than 3 samples with you, they assume that you are a dealer and may not be of service to you!

Recent (extra) risky pills

All drug samples delivered in the Netherlands at the drug checking services come to the DIMS (Drugs Information Monitoring System). The DIMS therefore has a good view of the pollution of drugs and can warn if it’s necessary.
On the website of the DIMS there’s a list of the most recent (extra) risky pills. Extra risky, because the use of drugs in itself is already risky.

Locations§

A complete overview of drug checking services and opening hours can be found at www.drugs-test.nl.

Below are the addresses of test services where Unity employees work.

Amsterdam

Den Haag

Leiden

Noord-Brabant

Utrecht

Noord-Holland

Gelderland