LSD Or 25I-NBOMe? How To Tell The Difference

Prohibition causes a lot of problems – one of which is the black market. You can never be sure of what you are buying at face value, and as dealers look at every possible way to cut corners, it has never been more important to test your stash. A fine example is LSD, which is seeing the much more dangerous 25I-NBOMe take its place in the market as a cheap substitute – unbeknownst to the buyer. Being able to tell the difference is vital.

FIRST: THE PROBLEM WITH PROHIBITION

Contrary to popular public opinion, the war on drugs has the complete opposite effect to its perceived purpose. While it is widely accepted that this effort to keep the public safe from dangerous drugs via vilification and incarceration is successful due to its use of force and threat, it is, in reality, a miserable and embarrassing failure on all fronts.

For one, many of these substances are incorrectly classified, most likely due to the fact that their untapped therapeutic potential poses a massive threat to the current capitalistic medical paradigm. Secondly, although gargantuan quantities of effort, money, and manpower are applied to attempt to suppress any kind of illegal drug use or trade, many people still choose to use and profiteer from this existing and persisting marketplace. This brings us to the morbidly ironic fact that this strategy actually exercises far more harm and devastation than it does protect vulnerable people.

Almost every music festival these days seems to be accompanied by the horrific news of multiple deaths of attendees due to the fact that they consumed drugs that were not the product they thought they were taking, were contaminated with nefarious substances or were taken in far too high a dose by uneducated and innocently clueless individuals. Legalization and strict regulation is the answer to this unfortunate dilemma.

A RISING TREND: 25I-NBOMe, NOT LSD

One example of this situation is the emerging distribution of 25I-NBOMe as a replacement for LSD. The problem sets in when dealers knowingly sell 25I-NBOMe marketed as LSD to unknowing customers. LSD has been studied and used recreationally by a great many people for decades and so far, has no death count derived from the toxicity of the substance. However, the same cannot be said for 25I-NBOMe.

25I-NBOMe was synthesized in 2003 and has yet received any classification, largely leaving it referred to as a “test chemical”. The drug has been responsible for a number of deaths that are actually a result of toxicity and dosage. 25I-NBOMe can affect vasoconstriction (constriction of the blood vessels), and negative side effects may include peripheral numbness and swelling of the extremities – a dangerous situation. Whereas LSD falls in the category of an indole/tryptamine, 25I-NBOMe is actually classed as a phenethylamine. Both of these substances can be consumed via the medium of blotter paper which increases the probability of both confusion and deceitful marketing.

How To Tell The Difference Between LSD And 25I-NBOME?

Luckily, there are various ways to tell these substances apart and identify what you are actually about to ingest and experience the effects of. One way of telling, which isn’t particularly a way to avoid ingestion, is the difference in taste. LSD will either emit a slight metallic taste or no taste at all. 25I-NBOMe, on the other hand, will dispense a bitter taste.

Both substances can also be tested using a black/UV light source. In this case, LSD will glow when placed under such a light source. 25I-NBOMe will not glow.

A more accurate and cost-friendly way to test these substances to ensure safety is by using an EZ Test specifically designed to test LSD and other indoles. This trusty piece of kit is absolutely essential when attending large scale events or other circumstances when purchasing substances from people you have never met and therefore have no solid trust for. It all honesty, it is worth using this potentially lifesaving technology regardless of where the drug is sourced, even from regular and trusted suppliers. Supply chains fluctuate and can often consist of so many links that it is impossible to tell if and when and how many times the products may have been diluted, cut and contaminated.

The EZ Test LSD and Indoles is extremely user-friendly, simple to use and provides solid results to ensure peace of mind before embarking upon a psychedelic voyage. Simply place a small amount of the acquired substance into the phial provided along with the reagent and shake gently. The results will be evident within minutes.

At the end of the day, adults make their own decisions. But it always pays to be safe.

Miguel Antonio Ordoñez

With an AB Mass Media and Communications degree, Miguel Ordoñez is a veteran writer of 13 years and counting and has been covering cannabis-related content since 2017. Continuous, meticulous research along with personal experience has helped him build a deep well of knowledge on the subject.

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