Reagent Testing Log — Harm Reduction

Substance	Carrier	Reagent	Color Result	Reaction Time	Reliability in Carrier	Notes
LSD	Alcohol	Ehrlich	Pink → Purple	2–5 min	Medium	Evaporate the alcohol onto blotter or paper before adding Ehrlich — testing liquid directly dilutes the reaction and can cause failure. Ehrlich detects all indoles, not LSD specifically. (DrugCheckingBC SOP 2024, The Level NZ)
LSD	Alcohol	Hofmann	Blue / Blue-Purple	2–5 min	Medium	Hofmann differentiates LSD (blue) from DMT (yellow) and 5-MeO-DMT (green). More specific than Ehrlich for identifying which indole is present. Evaporate alcohol carrier first. (Bunk Police, Test Kit Plus)
LSD	Oil (MCT)	Ehrlich	Purple (faint — inferred)	Unknown	Low	No primary source directly documents LSD in oil tested with Ehrlich. This result is inferred from general matrix interference science — oil does not evaporate like alcohol and may prevent adequate reagent contact. Extraction into methanol before testing is strongly recommended.
LSD	Glycerin	Ehrlich	Purple (inferred)	Unknown	Low	No primary source directly documents LSD in glycerin tested with Ehrlich. Inferred from DMT-in-PG documentation (Bunk Police) where Ehrlich works but is slower and fainter. Glycerin is more viscous than PG — mix thoroughly and allow extra time.
NBOMe (25i)	Powder	Ehrlich	No reaction	—	High	NBOMe compounds are phenethylamines, not indoles — Ehrlich gives NO color change. If your blotter gives no Ehrlich reaction, it is not LSD. This is the primary safety test for ruling out NBOMe substitution. LSD gives pink/purple; NBOMe gives nothing. (Erowid, DrugCheckingBC SOP 2024)
Psilocybin	Alcohol	Ehrlich	Pink → Purple/Violet	1–5 min (pure); up to 30+ min (raw material)	Medium	Color is pink progressing to purple/violet — not blue. Purified extracts react within minutes; raw mushroom material in complex matrix can take 30+ min. Ehrlich detects all indoles — many mushroom compounds give false positives. Evaporate alcohol carrier before testing. (DrugCheckingBC SOP 2024, PRO Test, Test Kit Plus)
Psilocybin	Oil	Ehrlich	Pink-Purple (inferred, slow)	Unknown	Low	No primary source directly documents psilocybin in oil with Ehrlich. Result inferred from general matrix interference science. Oil prevents evaporation and may block reagent contact with analyte. No reaction does not confirm absence.
DMT	Alcohol	Ehrlich	Purple	1–2 min	Medium	Strong indole, usually gives a clear purple. Also reliable in PG/VG vape liquid — slightly slower and fainter but readable. (Bunk Police)
DMT	Alcohol	Hofmann	Yellow	1–3 min	Medium	Hofmann differentiates DMT (yellow) from LSD (blue) and 5-MeO-DMT (green). This is the key differentiator between indoles — use alongside Ehrlich to identify which indole is present. Also reliable in PG/VG vape liquid. (Bunk Police, Test Kit Plus)
DMT	Alcohol	Mecke	Blue-Green	1–3 min	Medium	Valid for alcohol carrier. CRITICAL: propylene glycol (PG/VG vape liquid) interferes with Mecke and produces unreliable results — do NOT use Mecke for DMT vape juice. Use Ehrlich or Hofmann instead. (Bunk Police, documented)
MDMA	Alcohol	Marquis	Purple → Black	Typically within 30 sec	Medium	Read Marquis within ~40 seconds — color changes after that window are oxidation artifacts, not valid. Reaction usually occurs very fast. Alcohol dilution may slow onset slightly. (DanceSafe 2024)
MDMA	Alcohol	Simon's	Blue	1–3 min	Medium	Simon's distinguishes MDMA from MDA — MDA gives no blue (primary amine). Critical for confirming MDMA vs adulterants. (The Level NZ, DanceSafe)
MDMA	Alcohol	Froehde	Black	30 sec – 2 min	Medium	Part of the standard multi-reagent MDMA protocol alongside Marquis and Simon's. Black with MDMA. (Bunk Police)
MDMA	Oil	Marquis	Purple → Black (slow)	5–20 min	Low	Oil matrix causes significant delay. A non-reaction within 5 min is not conclusive. Extract before testing if possible.
MDA	Alcohol	Marquis	Purple → Black	Within 30 sec	Medium	MDA gives the same Marquis result as MDMA — indistinguishable by Marquis alone. Use Simon's to differentiate. (PRO Test, DEA Microgram)
MDA	Alcohol	Simon's	No reaction	—	High	MDA is a primary amine — Simon's gives NO blue. MDMA gives blue. This is the definitive MDA vs MDMA differentiator. No reaction here means MDA, not MDMA. (Simon's reagent Wikipedia, DanceSafe)
Methylone / Cathinones	Powder	Marquis	Brilliant Yellow	30 sec – 1 min	High	Methylone (bk-MDMA) and most synthetic cathinones (bath salts) give a brilliant yellow with Marquis — vs MDMA's black. Key adulterant check: if Marquis gives yellow instead of black, your sample is not MDMA. WARNING: in a mixed sample (50/50 MDMA + methylone), MDMA's black overrides the yellow — mixture masking applies. (Bunk Police, DEA Microgram 2012)
Cocaine	Powder	Scott	Blue → Pink → Blue	30 sec	High	Primary cocaine test (cobalt thiocyanate). Blue precipitate in stage 1, turns pink with HCl in stage 2, blue again in chloroform in stage 3. Levamisole, phenacetin, caffeine, benzocaine — all negative (no false positive). False positives only at high amounts: ketamine, heroin, diltiazem, lidocaine. (Notre Dame PAD Project, PubMed 2024)
Cocaine	Alcohol	Marquis	No reaction → Pale peach	—	Medium	Per DanceSafe's June 2024 update: the full range from no reaction to pale peach/pink is now considered the expected cocaine Marquis result — it no longer reliably indicates levamisole specifically. Do not use Marquis to screen for amphetamine contamination in cocaine. Use Scott test to confirm cocaine presence. (DanceSafe 2024 Reagent Reaction Updates)
Cocaine	Alcohol	Mandelin	Faint orange / variable	1–3 min	Low	Cocaine can give a faint orange with Mandelin but the reaction is inconsistent and not specific to cocaine. Not a reliable primary test — use Scott (cobalt thiocyanate) instead. A clear orange reaction suggests amphetamine-type adulterants.
Cocaine + Levamisole	Powder	Liebermann	Green (levamisole)	30 sec – 1 min	High	Liebermann is the reagent to test for levamisole in cocaine — levamisole gives a green color. The Scott test does NOT detect levamisole (it's a true negative in Scott). Present in the majority of street cocaine. (Miraculix Lab, Boston University forensic study)
Cocaine + Phenacetin	Powder	Liebermann	Dark Brown / Black	30 sec – 1 min	High	Phenacetin (common cocaine cut) gives a dark brown/black with Liebermann. Also negative in the Scott test — only Liebermann catches it. Phenacetin has documented cardiotoxic effects. (Miraculix Lab, Boston University forensic study)
Heroin	Alcohol	Marquis	Purple	Within 30–60 sec	Medium	CRITICAL: When fentanyl is present alongside heroin, the orange (fentanyl) and purple (heroin) mask each other — Marquis alone cannot confirm or deny fentanyl contamination in a heroin sample. Always use a fentanyl test strip. Read Marquis within ~40 sec valid window. (ResearchGate, DEA Microgram, PMC aptamer study)
Heroin	Alcohol	Mecke	Blue-Green	1–2 min	Medium	Heroin/morphine gives blue-green with Mecke (not black — black was incorrect). Mecke + Marquis together improve opioid identification. Alcohol carrier generally workable.
Fentanyl	Alcohol	Marquis	Orange	1–3 min	Medium	Marquis is the best documented colorimetric test for fentanyl. Orange when fentanyl is alone — masked when heroin is present (heroin's purple dominates). Always pair with a fentanyl test strip — reagents cannot detect fentanyl at trace lethal doses. (ResearchGate, DEA Microgram)
Fentanyl	Alcohol	Mandelin	Yellow	1–3 min	Low	Yellow with fentanyl per Sirchie NARK II. Secondary indicator only — reagents cannot detect fentanyl at the trace doses that cause overdose. Always use a fentanyl test strip. (Sirchie NARK II chart)
Fentanyl	Alcohol	Froehde	Little / no reaction	—	Low	Froehde reaction for fentanyl is not confirmed by major harm reduction vendors or forensic references. Not reliable for fentanyl detection. Use Marquis as the better colorimetric option and always pair with a fentanyl test strip. (DanceSafe Froehde, PRO Test)
Fentanyl	Oil	Marquis	Orange (unreliable)	5–20+ min	Low	Oil matrix makes colorimetric fentanyl detection critically unreliable. A negative reagent result in oil does not mean fentanyl is absent. Always use a fentanyl test strip regardless of reagent result.
Ketamine	Powder	Morris	Violet / Purple	30 sec – 1 min	High	Morris is the primary specific reagent for ketamine — currently the only substance known to turn violet with Morris. No need for multiple reagents to confirm. For liquid ketamine, evaporate a small drop and test the residue.
Ketamine	Alcohol	Marquis	Orange	1–3 min	Medium	Ketamine is commonly found in liquid/tincture form. Alcohol carrier generally does not interfere significantly.
Ketamine	Water	Marquis	Orange	1–2 min	High	Aqueous solution gives most reliable reagent result. Water is the easiest carrier to test accurately.
Methamphetamine	Alcohol	Marquis	Orange-Brown	1–2 min	Medium	Use Simon's alongside to distinguish from amphetamine. Alcohol carrier workable at reasonable concentration.
Methamphetamine	Alcohol	Simon's	Blue	1–3 min	Medium	Simon's blue confirms secondary amine (meth). Amphetamine gives no reaction — useful for distinguishing the two. (DanceSafe, Simon's reagent Wikipedia)
Amphetamine	Alcohol	Marquis	Orange-Brown	1–2 min	Medium	Marquis cannot distinguish amphetamine from methamphetamine — both give orange-brown. Use Simon's to differentiate: meth = blue, amphetamine = no reaction. (DanceSafe, DEA Microgram 2012)
Amphetamine	Alcohol	Simon's	No reaction	—	High	Amphetamine (primary amine) gives NO blue with Simon's — this is the key differentiator from methamphetamine (secondary amine = blue). High reliability as a negative indicator. (Simon's reagent Wikipedia, DanceSafe, UNODC)