ntroduction

Ecstasy pill testing kits are relatively simple, inexpensive products which allows people
to test unknown pills to help determine their contents. Because the quality of street
ecstasy is notoriously poor, having the ability to at least narrow down the possible
contents can help reduce the risks associated with the use of street ecstasy.
The ecstasy testing kits contain a combination of chemicals called a 'Marquis Reagant'.
A '"reagent" in this case means a chemical or combination of chemicals which, because
of the reaction they cause, can be used in the testing or analyses of other chemicals. The
primary use of the marquis reagent in the United States is by law enforcement as a field
test for the presence of amphetamine and opiates. It's only within the past three years
that they have started to be marketed to the public as a harm reduction tool.

Who sells kits?

Testing kits are available from a number of organizations. In the United States,
DanceSafe as a good source. They charge $25 for a Marquis Reagent kit.
Customers in Britain and Europe who would prefer to avoid U.S. customs can buy from
E-Z Test (20 Euro).

Dancesafe Testing Kits (US)

E-Z Test (Europe)

EcstasyPillTest.com (Australia)

How do the Kits Work?

Ecstacy testing kits come in the form of a bottle of liquid. The test works by scraping a
small quantity of powder off the side of a pill and onto a plate. The scraping can be done
with anything, but some people find that a fingernail file or razorblade works well. A
small drop of the testing kit liquid is then dripped onto the powder scrapings.
A chemical reaction will happen between the liquid reagent and some of the more
common chemicals found in ecstasy pills. This reaction may cause the liquid to turn a
variety of colors depending on what is in the powder. This color change generally
happens within a period of 10-15 seconds after combining the powder and liquid.

What is the chemical in the kits?

The Marquis Reagent is 9 parts concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and 1 part
formaldehyde (CH2O). Some vendors add methanol to the mixture in an attempt to
slow the speed of the reaction for easier viewing.

What do the kits tell me?

The kit can identify whether a substance does not contain the presence of ecstasy-like
substances (MDMA, MDA, MDE) through lack of reaction. The test kits can not
positively identify that a pill contains ecstasy. It can not differentiate between the MD*
chemicals nor tell you how much of these are in a pill. There is a growing belief that
'bunk' ecstasy producers are including a small amount of Marquis-positive chemicals to
'fool' the tests.
The Marquis test will turn dark purple/black for several substances (not just ecstasy-like
compounds) therefore the presence of purple/black reaction does not mean the pill
necessarily contains ecstasy. Marquis field tests have been traditionally used to detect
the presence of opiates & heroin (which turn pink to purple).
Full instructions, including color charts, come with the kits, but here is a general
description of the most common results :
No color change
If there is no color change, the pill does not contain noticeable quantities of
MDMA (ecstasy), MDE, MDA, 2C-B, DOM, DOB, DXM, methamphetamine,
or amphetamine.
Dark Purple / Black
Black or very dark purple/blue most often indicates either the presence of an
ecstasy like substance (MDMA, MDE, or MDA), DXM, or opiates. It is possible
to differentiate between DXM and the ecstasy like substances based on the
period of time it takes for the reagent to turn black.
Dark Grey
DXM will emit a small amount of smoke first, then turn the reagent black after
5-10 seconds. Ecstasy-like substances may emit a tiny bit of smoke (generally
not as much as DXM) and will begin turning color immediately.
Bright Yellow / Green
Indicates the presence of 2C-B, DOM, or DOB.
Bright Orange
Indicates the presence of Speed, Methamphetamine, or Amphetamine.
Other Colors
If the reagent turns some other color, it is an indication that the pill does not
contain ecstasy, or any of the above substances, but DOES contain some other
unknown, possibly dangerous chemical. See below.
There are chemicals which do not cause a reaction with the ecstasy testing kits. Just
because a pill tests positive for an ecstasy-like substance does not mean that the pills are
pure or safe. They may contain a wide variety of other safe or dangerous chemicals.
Following is a chart showing preliminary results submitted to us for how the Marquis
Reagant reacts with a variety of other chemicals.
Marquis

2-AminoIndan

Orange to Red (slightly rusty)

25I-NBOMe (freebase,
uncomplexed)

Brown to Dark Lime Green (erowid + ecstasydata confirmed)

2C-C

Starting brown going to Dark Lime Green (similar to 2C-B)

2C-D

Very light pink

2C-E

No reaction (!?)

2C-I

Dark Green to Black

2C-T-2

Orange to Red (usually a sort of salmon color)

2C-T-4

Orange to Red (usually a sort of salmon color)

2C-T-7

Orange to Red (salmon, again; also, there is less tendency

towards orange than 2C-T-2 shows)

3C-P

Orange

4-Acetoxy-DiPT

Dirty (blackish) olive

4-Methyl-Aminorex (u4euh)

no color change

4-MTA

no color change

5-MeO-DiPT

Fizzes then turns yellow quickly changing to a slightly rusty

orange

Alpha-Methyl-DiPT

Fizzes then turns brown

AMT

Dark brownish-yellow

BDB

Dark brown, nearly black

Benzylpiperazine

No color change, but it causes the reagent to fizz. Looks like

when you pour hydrogen peroxide on a cut.

DiPT

Fizzes strongly then turns a neon yellow

DPT

Dirty olive

Harmine

Fizzes slightly, much less so than BZP, and turns a brownorange rust color.

IAP

Immediate reaction to salmon/red, slowly intensifies to a

darker red over 1min.

MBDB

Dark Brown to Black

Methylone

Yellow

Opiates

Pink to Purple

Phenolphthalein

Crimson

PMA

No color change

Table Salt (Sodium Chloride)

Tends to foam, no color change (Marquis Reagent Reaction)

Sugar

Slow from yellow to dark brown (Marquis Reagent

Reaction)

TMA-2

Lime Green (similar to 2C-B)

TMA-6

Yellow to Orange

Fizzes slightly, much less so than BZP. Slowly (up to a

minute), it will turn an olive green color.

Yohimbine

Mecke
2C-E

light yellow/green within 10 seconds

2C-I

Immediate reaction to a reddish brown similar to drying blood

2C-T-21

Dark blood red which turns to an imperial purple over 30 seconds

4-Methyl-Aminorex
(u4euh)

no color change

IAP

No Reaction

MBDB

Yellow

TMA-6

Dirty olive, gradually develops orange on the edges of the liquid puddle
after about a minute

Simons
2C-E

No reaction

2C-I

No reaction

2C-T-21

Greenish blue

IAP

No Reaction

TMA-6

Purple

Are the kits dangerous?

The primary ingredient in the Marquis testing kits is sulphuric acid (H2SO4). This is an
acid which will burn skin if it comes in contact. The kits need to be handled very
carefully. They should be stored in a glass container with a tightly sealing lid, and
preferably the glass container would then be placed in another external container to
contain any leakage or spills if the bottle were to break.
Once the test is performed, the resulting reagent/powder mix should be carefully
washed off the plate without coming into contact with skin. If a spill occurs, diluting
with water is the safest option, and baking soda can be used to clean up in carpet,
however be careful because acid+base results in heat (an 'exothermic' reaction) and if
one spills a whole bottle, it could be dangerously hot to attempt to neutralize with
baking soda. If the reagent comes into contact with eyes or skin, rinse thoroughly with
water for at least 2 minutes and see a doctor if irritation continues.
Formaldehyde (the secondary ingredient) is a known carcinogen in humans which has
been linked to nasal and lung cancer and with possible links to brain cancer and
lukemia. Formaldehyde exposure can irritate the eyes and mucus membranes if vapors
come into contact with the eyes. For more information, see Osha's page on
formaldehyde.

Are the kits legal?

There is some question as to the legal status of testing kits in the U.S. Many states
include wording in their paraphernalia laws which include anything which "identify,
analyze, or test" scheduled substances. This wording _is not_ included in the federal
paraphernalia laws. Arguably, the ecstasy testing kits do not fit within this category as
they only verifiably test for the _absence_ of MDMA or other controlled substances.
(i.e. if a sample does not turn a color, we can be reasonably sure that there is no MDMA
present, however if the sample turns black it could mean that mdma is present or it
could indicate the presence of another completely unrelated substance).
These kits have been widely available for over a year and we have heard of no legal
problems either with their sale or possession. We know this isn't a very satisfactory
answer, but the U.S. legal system is often confusing on points like this. As a general
rule, if people aren't being prosecuted for it, it's unlikely that _you_ will be.
Because it's not federally illegal, importation should not cause any legal problems, but
many people choose to avoid having to deal with customs by order from a vedor on
their own continent. We do not currently have any information about the legality of
testing kits in countries other than the United States.

How long is a kit good for?

Testing kits will eventually go bad. At this point we've heard that they can go bad in as
little as six months, though some people have had them stay useful for years when they
are stored cold and air-tight. Keeping the testing kit reagent in a well-sealing dark glass
bottle, cool or refrigerated may help extend its life.

Credits
This FAQ was written by Erowid.org with technical consultation by Murple.

Related Links

Ecstasydata.org

UNDCP : Field and laboratory tests for raw and prepared opium

An inventory of on-site pill-testing interventions in the EU - EMCDDA,

2001
(cache: Executive Summary * Full Report * Fact Files)

Report finds field testing and lab testing positive new measures to reduce
problems associated with ecstasy.

Revision History

First Draft 1999

July 2003: Added more marquis reactions (2ct4, 2ci, 2ai, tma2, 2cc, MBDB)

Dec 2003: Added marquis reactions for (2ce & iap) and a couple mecke and
simons reactions. Thanks to NaFun.