Online test purchased new psychoactive substances in 5 different European countries: A snapshot study of chemical composition and price.
The International journal on drug policy June 1, 2017 Tibor Markus Brunt, Amanda Marie Atkinson, Thomas Nefau et al.
New psychoactive substances purchased from European webshops vary widely in purity and are often mislabeled. Chemical analysis of around 10 substances per country from France, the UK, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Poland found that purity differed considerably from the >99% typically advertised. Some products contained chemical analogues (e.g., 25B/C-NBOMe instead of 25I-NBOMe), and others differed substantially from what was advertised (e.g., pentedrone instead of AMT). Purity-adjusted prices of cathinones were lowest in Poland; synthetic cannabinoids were most expensive in the Czech Republic and least expensive in the UK. Mislabelling poses a potential danger, and price and purity variation may reflect market dynamics and law enforcement differences.