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).
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