"The misrepresentation of illicit drugs is a persistent problem in unregulated markets (Barratt et al., 2024, Marshman and Gibbins, 1969). Misrepresentation can take several forms, including dilution of alleged drugs with inactive fillers, adulteration with other active drugs or contaminants, and substitution with other substances. When users consume illicit drugs of unknown content, quality, and dosage, their risk of overdose and other adverse health events increases significantly (Singh et al., 2020, van Amsterdam et al., 2020). Even innocuous fillers can be harmful if administered in novel or unintended ways (Cook et al., 2021, Sehdev et al., 2022). Due to such concerns, many jurisdictions have implemented drug checking programs where users may voluntarily and anonymously submit drug samples for chemical analysis (Davis et al., 2022, Green et al., 2022, Park et al., 2023). Results about drug content, including potentially dangerous substances, are then reported back to users and the community-at-large (Barratt and Measham, 2022). Recent systematic reviews conclude that drug checking programs can effectively monitor drug trends, identify the emergence of novel and dangerous substances, and promote harm reduction and safer use practices (Giulini et al., 2023, Maghsoudi et al., 2022)."
Eric L. Sevigny, Sylvia Thyssen, Earth Erowid, Russell Lea, Misrepresentation of MDMA in the United States, 1999–2023, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Volume 264, 2024, 112467, ISSN 0376-8716, doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.112467.
