MDMA/Psychedelic Drug Testing Center

How to set up an MDMA/psychedelic testing center

This is an idea from DanceSafe founder Emanuel Sferios that could really improve public health and prevent unnecessary drug-related deaths.

RollSafe isn’t going to run this - but someone who reads this might!

The idea: Setting up a highly accurate drug testing facility in high drug use areas (e.g. large college campuses, large cities) to provide free drug testing a few days a week.

• What does it involve?
  • Finding a location.
    • e.g. Room at Haight Ashbury free clinic in SF
    • Harm reduction center, haight ashbury, or a room in a hospital.
    • Ideally you find a health clinic that lets you use space. More you identify with public health the more protection you have.
  • Getting grants for chromatography machine so you can tell people exactly what is in the substances.
  • Get a spectroscopy machine: $30-50k. Really accurate and portable, about the size of a toaster.
  • Need to calibrate the machines, need chemists. Would take money.
  • Could run it 2 days a week.
    • “Come get your drugs tested Tuesday and Friday at this address.” We will be there for X and Y days.
  • “I was willing to go out and take the risk. Part of what gave me confidence was prep work talking to people — like the SF public health department and others. I got a network of people that supported me so that if I did get arrested, there would be newspaper articles, people would come to my trials.”
• Today it’s a lot easier than it was 20 years ago
  • Drug testing centers would easily function without people complaining today.
  • ER physicians, medical staff, etc. They all go to Erowid to find out what the new drugs are.
  • If you started a drug ID place where people can bring their drugs in many health professionals will immediately realize it’s a good thing. Lots of support from public.
• Cost
  • Volunteers.
  • 99% of cost is the machine.
  • Doing outreach online, raves, festivals, etc.
  • 9-5, 5 days a week would be harder. Would need to pay people
• Branding
  • Make it about what it’s really about: reducing harm.
• Approaches
  • Professional non-profit
    • Grant money
    • All paid helpers
  • Grassroots
    • Donations
    • Volunteers

Next steps

• Send this to someone you know who might be suited to organizing this. They’d be well suited if they are great at making things happen, and they care about this cause.