"Results of an international drug testing service for cryptomarket users", Caudevilla et al 2016:
INTRODUCTION: User surveys indicate that expectations of higher drug purity are a key reason for cryptomarket use. In 2014-2015, Spain's NGO Energy Control conducted a 1-year pilot project to provide a testing service to cryptomarket drug users using the Transnational European Drug Information (TEDI) guidelines. In this paper, we present content and purity data from the trial.
METHODS: 219 samples were analyzed by gas chromatography associated with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Users were asked to report what substance they allegedly purchased.
RESULTS: 40 different advertised substances were reported, although 77.6% were common recreational drugs (cocaine, MDMA, amphetamines, LSD, ketamine, an cannabis). In 200 samples (91.3%), the main result of analysis matched the advertised substance. Where the advertised compound was detected, purity levels (m±SD) were: cocaine 71.6±19.4%; MDMA (crystal) 88.3±1.4%; MDMA (pills) 133.3±38.4mg; Amphetamine (speed) 51.3±33.9%; LSD 123.6±40.5μg; Cannabis resin THC: 16.5±7.5% CBD: 3.4±1.5%; Ketamine 71.3±38.4%. [But] 39.8% of cocaine samples contained the adulterant levamisole (11.6±8%). No adulterants were found in MDMA and LSD samples.
DISCUSSION: The largest collection of test results from drug samples delivered from cryptomarkets are reported in this study. Most substances contained the advertised ingredient and most samples were of high purity. The representativeness of these results is unknown.
...In 200 of 219 samples (91.3%) the main result of analysis coincided with the information provided by the user. In the remaining 19 samples, analytical results revealed: (a) another drug than advertised (n=9), (b) a mixture of unexpected substances (n=7), or (c) the composition could not be determined with the analytical techniques performed (n=3).
...Some of our data are consistent with current reports and are a reflection of the global market. For example, results for MDMA, with high purities in crystalized form and very elevated dosages of MDMA in tablet form as reported here, have been recently reported by other harm reduction groups offering drug checking services as well (Brunt et al., 2016). Also, frequencies of levamisole contamination in our sample are congruent with this widespread problem reported in the rest of the global drug market (Chang, Osterloh, & Thomas, 2010).
Given broader evidence of the adulteration of conventional drugs with New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), the low frequency of NPS in our cryptomarket samples is noteworthy. Energy Control has previously identified 24 different NPS in 173 samples that were sold as MDMA, amphetamines, ketamine or cocaine between 2009- 2012 from conventional markets (Giné et al., 2014). During 2013 and 2014, blotters containing 25x-NBOMe or hallucinogenic phenethylamines (DOB, DOC, DOI) in samples sold as LSD have been reported, sometimes associated with severe toxicity (Caldicott, Bright, & Barratt, 2013), but in our data we did not detect NBOMes in any of the samples suspected to be LSD. In our data, the vast majority of the samples were common recreational or prescription drugs. NPS are widely offered in cryptomarkets but demand appears limited (Barratt et al., 2014; Caudevilla, 2014). It is possible that users of NPS choose to buy them elsewhere, as their availability from easily accessible websites is high. An alternate explanation could be that, within the free market conditions provided by cryptomarkets, users prefer 'classical' drugs rather than substitutes.
Although it would be inaccurate to formally compare our results with other data sources because we lack data about sample country of origin (see limitations section below), the purity of our sample of cryptomarket-sourced substances appears relatively high in comparison to other published research. In 2014, Energy Control (2015) analyzed 2938 samples collected from the illegal Spanish drug market using the same techniques described in this article. In 589 alleged cocaine samples, 14% contained only cocaine, and the purity of samples containing cocaine was 48%. In 627 alleged crystal MDMA samples, 84% of samples contained only MDMA, and the purity detected was 74%. In 359 alleged MDMA pills, 69% of samples contained only MDMA, and the MDMA concentration per pill was 114mg. Another European data source used police seizure data to estimate the purity of cocaine (interquartile range 33-50%), amphetamine (IQR 9-19%), and MDMA pills (IQR 77-98 mg) (EMCDDA, 2015). Taking just the example of cocaine for which we have the greatest number of samples (n=103), the purity of cryptomarket cocaine samples (71.6%) appears relatively high compared with the Spanish illicit drug market (48%) and the broader European seizures (interquartile range 33-50%). Cryptomarket cocaine samples also appear to be less likely to be adulterated (51.5% only contained cocaine) compared with samples from the Spanish illicit drug markets (14% only contained cocaine).
Previously: "The emergence of deep web marketplaces: a health perspective", Caudevilla; ch7, The Internet and drug markets 2016 (excerpts)
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