Please support the fundraiser to expand services

What Even Happened in July?

• The under-24-hour roundtrip to Oakland to pick up the FTIR Spectrometer won in the auction went smoothly… With the exception of me barely making it to my departing flight on time due to the size of the pelican case for the spectrometer.

• The Harm Reduction Resource Fair at The Door was a partial success. It wasn’t well attended, likely due to the inclement weather. However, we had a number of meaningful interactions with youth educating them on the services, and letting them take home many Grassroots Harm Reduction drug info cards.

• Arrangements for new office/lab spaces have begun so that drop off, drop in, and mail-in services are easier to coordinate.

• Began talks with Lucidity, a company that builds low cost analysis equipment.

  • Currently unlisted to the public and not yet released, they’ve given me a quote for the instrument which is between $62,000 and $78,000 (this is incredibly cheap for MS). The instrument would come with a 24-month manufacturer’s warranty and the team will provide a starter column, a pre-installed laptop with Lucidity Software (no licensing fees), and a starter pack of all required consumables.

• We’ve been reaching out directly to many friends, supporters, other organizations and potential grants and donors. However, formal avenues are very slow and sometimes fruitless—especially in the near-term because some of the application deadlines for grants have already passed for this cycle. Contributing to crowdfunding efforts will be our best chance for success at this time. If you’d like to contribute monthly or annually, you can do so via Open Collective. There are flexible donation tiers!

• Rebel Analytics enrollment, pricing, and payment system is being completely restructured. More details on this when it’s been established.

• Currently the shop is closed as I remove pricey payment processors and merchant accounts that are not needed for such a small scale, mostly business.

Recent Unexpected Drug Checking Results:

MDMA

• Caffeine

• Methamphetamine (trace)

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

Typically ecstasy pills from the Bronx contain methamphetamine only. This one seems to have not had enough methamphetamine to be active and was really just a very ineffective pill, unlike the next 2 samples…

MDMA

• Methamphetamine

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

If you want MDMA you probably should never try to buy it in the Bronx. They rarely seem to put the 3,4-methylenedioxy with the methamphetamine.

4-MMC

• 4-CMC

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

See the advisory in Rebel Roundup 19 about CMCs.

Mescaline

• Baking Soda

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

Every time someone brings powder this fine and white to me I think “This looks like baking soda” and then it is. While reagents don’t test for baking soda, if you drop any of them on it and it starts frothing/foaming, fizzing, and neutralizing… You’ll know. Synthetic forms of Mescaline are not particularly cheap, so this buyer really got ripped off.

Fentanyl

• Caffeine + Xylazine + Procaine + 4-ANPP + Heroin + Fentanyl

  • Trace - Acetylcodeine + methamphetamine + N-phenylpropanamide + acetaminophen + diphenhydramine + lidocaine + medetomidine + cocaine + melatonin + 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM) + bromazolam + phenethyl 4-ANPP + 2-Fluoro-2-oxo PCE + quinine

    ---

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

I can see why this would cause an overdose to an individual even with a very opioid high tolerance. There are pretty much 7 different sedatives present—4 of which are dissociatives, and a benzo. And that’s not counting the melatonin which is a bizarre potential addition to this cocktail. This is very common for heroin/fentanyl samples these days. I was only able to detect 4 of these compounds by FTIR and 3 by immunoassay test strips. The rest of the results came from UNC. I’m hoping through funding efforts, we will be able to afford a brand new, experimental GCMS designed to be much more affordable and user friendly, without proprietary limitations. I’m already in contact with their team and discussing specifics around our needs to see if it would work.

Tell your friends and colleagues about my work and share these posts on Substack. Let’s expand access to drug checking together! And don’t forget to donate to the GoFundMe!

June has been a whirlwind of a month. So much has happened, yet so little feels like it can be reported.

Ringing in Year 4

I’m proud to be part of the safety team for the 4th year in a row, since its inception. I ran about 70 samples, and for the first time, was allowed to invite Safe Rave NYC to assist with reagent and strip testing, as well as onsite education. Don’t need to name the festival. Iykyk!

Remember When I Went to Chicago for an FTIR? Now I’m Going to Oakland…

Like most projects I find myself pursuing, this one started with yet another job rejection—for a role I was exceptionally qualified for (and usually lose to someone no better than I am, just white and/or a cis man). I wanted to support Courtney, a drug checking technician who had recently parted ways with St. Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction. She wanted to continue doing drug checking work but wasn’t sure how. Ironically, both of us had recently been denied the Drug Checking Technician role at the NYC DOH for various “reasons” (re: not a legitimate one).

While trying to help her write up a budget and expense list to justify the goal for her upcoming GoFundMe, I stumbled across some secondhand equipment auctions. A Bruker Alpha II FTIR—the exact model I work with—was sitting at $200 with four days left to bid. There was also an Agilent GCMS sitting at $1,200. Long story short, after the GCMS exceeded the maximum my backer wanted to spend, I got sucked into a bidding war for the FTIR. I ultimately won it for $18,500, which came out to $24,100 after taxes and auction fees. While this was a far cry from the starting price, it is still the cheapest Alpha II available on the open market.

The auctions were based in California—this one specifically in Oakland. So, where did the money come from? We do have another backer involved, and the fundraiser will eventually help cover our operating costs, but that money isn’t available just yet. Operating in good faith, I pulled $3,100 from my personal checking (not savings) and took out a $21,000 emergency loan to cover the immediate costs. I then booked a same-day, roundtrip flight to pick up the equipment from the lot in Oakland. Since I already have a Pelican case configured to transport an Alpha II, I plan to pack it up and bring it back on my flight to NYC on July 8th.

Personally, I will probably never bid on that auction site again; the entire system was extremely stressful. I didn’t even realize I had won until I received an invoice in the middle of the night while slightly intoxicated. The auction had just ended—no email, no congratulations, nothing. To make matters worse, the site constantly reset the timer to 5 minutes every time it hit zero to force continuous bidding, which tacked an extra $2,500 onto my final bid (my absolute max was $20,000, and even that was pushing it). It did this 4-5 times while we all watched from our respective phones and computers, swearing at the screen and texting updates.

Ultimately, though, this experience has been a great opportunity to see who is truly in our corner to help community-led harm reduction thrive. Please support the fundraiser so we can make this happen—and so I don’t have to stay in debt for another 5 to 7 years right after finally paying everything off.

The Door’s Harm Reduction Resource Fair

We’re less than one week away from The Door’s Harm Reduction Resource Fair on Thursday, July 9, from 2:00–5:00 PM at The Door, and I’m looking forward to setting up a booth there!

I’m excited to be able to talk to youth ages 12-24 about harm reduction and my services. It’s always been a goal of mine to reach more under 21’s and even minors, because most events and venues are 21+, missing an under-served drug using demographic, with nearly 1-in-7 teenagers using an illicit substance in the last month.

By the time students reach the end of high school (12th grade), roughly 36.8% of teenagers report having tried or used an illicit drug at least once in their lives—and while overall adolescent drug use has actually been on a downward trend or holding steady over the last decade, youth drug overdose deaths more than doubled between 2018 and 2022. Public health agencies attribute this spike almost entirely to fentanyl contamination—meaning illicitly manufactured fentanyl is frequently mixed into counterfeit prescription pills (like fake Adderall or Xanax) or other street drugs without the user's knowledge.

18- to 25-year-olds in New York are 5.55% more likely to use drugs than the average American in the same age group, and if you’d like to become a member at The Door, membership is free, requires no documentation, and is open to anyone ages 12–24!

Big shoutout to Alyssa for doing her due diligence and finding my services.

Recent Unexpected Drug Checking Results:

Cocaine

• Cocaine + Phenacetin

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

It is a common misconception that levamisole remains the primary cocaine cutting agent, especially at the street level. While it contaminated 70% to 90% of US cocaine seizures between 2010 and 2016, recent DEA data shows it has fallen to roughly 19% of wholesale samples. As a drug-checking technician tracking these trends, I want to set the record straight: phenacetin has been the dominant adulterant in the street samples I’ve tested over the last few years.

This shift carries severe health risks. Phenacetin metabolizes into paracetamol (acetaminophen), heavily compounding cocaine’s organ toxicity. Beyond chronic risks like kidney failure and bladder cancer, acute overdoses frequently cause methemoglobinemia—a life-threatening condition where blood cannot release oxygen to tissues, causing patients to turn a distinct blue color (cyanosis).

Why the Shift in Adulterants in Cocaine?

Between 2010 and 2016, South American cartels routinely added levamisole at source laboratories to inflate volume and use its synergistic stimulant properties to mask dilution.

However, a recent boom in South American coca cultivation has created a massive oversupply of pure cocaine. Because cartels no longer need to heavily cut bulk bricks to maximize profits, the job of “stretching” the drug has shifted entirely down the supply chain to domestic distributors and street-level dealers.

While levamisole is difficult for local dealers to source and process, phenacetin is a cheap, easily obtained industrial chemical. This has driven a major shift in street-level trends: Levamisole has largely disappeared from wholesale imports, while phenacetin is now found in roughly 15% to 20% of street-level powder samples. Instead of being added at origin, phenacetin is introduced domestically to “re-rock” or stretch the product.

Dealers favor phenacetin for three main reasons:

• Physical Masking: Phenacetin has a nearly identical melting point, chemical solubility, and “shiny” crystalline appearance to pure cocaine. When dealers melt it down to dilute the product and compress it back into blocks, it mimics the look of high-purity cocaine.

• Taste: It mimics the bitter taste profile of cocaine, hiding the fact that the drug has been heavily cut.

• Mild Synergy: It provides a mild physical rush and analgesic effect, which helps mask the drop in cocaine potency.

Yet, despite this occasional adulteration, the average purity of domestic powder and rock cocaine has actually risen over the last five years. DEA Cocaine Signature Program data shows wholesale bricks arriving at the US border are now hovering at an incredibly high average of 84% to 88% pure, with the presence of levamisole dropping from its 90% peak down to around 19%.

Pyrazolam

(No Photo Available)

• Flubromazepam

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

While both Pyrazolam and Flubromazepam are “designer benzodiazepines” (novel psychoactive substances, or NPS), Pyrazolam and Flubromazepam have vastly different durations and clinical risk profiles. Pyrazolam is highly selective for anxiety reduction without heavy sedation, whereas Flubromazepam is a long-acting, heavy sedative-hypnotic. The primary differences in their risk profiles involve metabolism and accumulation.

Pyrazolam has a roughly 17-hour half-life and uniquely bypasses liver metabolism, being excreted unchanged in urine. Its main risk is behavioral—because it lacks heavy sedative properties, it causes a strong "delusion of sobriety," which can lead to compulsive redosing.

Because Flubromazepam remains in the blood for days, the window for fatal drug interactions stretches significantly—across days. Ingesting alcohol or opioids days after a dose can still trigger respiratory depression. Additionally, emerging animal studies suggest potential mild cardiotoxicity at high concentrations, which is unusual for traditional benzodiazepines.

Methaqualone

• Methaqualone + Diphenhydramine

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

I want to note that methaqualone has been popping up in New York City lately, and the tablets look exactly like the “Mandrax” found in South Africa. It makes sense that these samples contain diphenhydramine, as that—or mebroqualone—is typically what is in Mandrax. Honestly, I can’t imagine the experience is worth $180 a pill, especially when South African methaqualone generally costs between R40 and R80 (ZAR) (roughly $2.20 to $4.40 USD) and it is also a much cleaner press than these low-quality, poorly made doo doo-looking local tablets.

The primary issue isn’t even the combination itself—since it takes a relatively large dose of methaqualone to produce euphoric effects anyway—but rather the uncertainty of what is actually in them without access to a laboratory for testing. For instance, last year a pill from one of these batches tested positive for fentanyl, even though other tablets from the exact same batch did not.

Tell your friends and colleagues about my work and share these posts on Substack. Let’s expand access to drug checking together!

See Campaign Here

Eight years ago, I was homeless, sleeping in parks across New York City, and struggling to imagine a path forward. I was living in an incredibly dangerous and uncertain situation, and I didn’t know how I was going to change my life.

What made the difference were low-barrier harm reduction services. People met me where I was, treated me with dignity, and connected me to resources that helped me stay safe and begin rebuilding my future. Those services gave me hope when I had very little left.

Today, because of that support, my life looks completely different. I found stable employment doing work I care deeply about. I moved into safe and secure housing. I built a home, started a family, and surrounded myself with a strong and loving community. None of that would have been possible without the harm reduction programs that were there for me when I needed them most.

Now, I want to give back.

After more than eight years of working and volunteering in harm reduction, I am launching a peer-led, grassroots harm reduction program for the Bronx and surrounding communities to address a critical and growing need for accessible, low-barrier services.

The Bronx remains one of New York City’s most underserved communities when it comes to harm reduction resources. Our program will provide free, anonymous drug checking services and harm reduction resources to anyone who needs them—without judgment, without barriers, and at no cost. Ultimately we believe that everyone deserves access to information and services that can help them make safer, educated decisions, without price barriers or judgement. This program can be the key to reducing overdose rates and lowering the risks associated with an unregulated drug supply.

An increasingly unpredictable drug supply is driving up overdose rates every single day. By providing low barrier and judgment free drug checking services along with harm reduction support, we can empower people to make informed decisions and save lives.

This program is vital to protecting the Bronx and the broader NYC community:

• Real Time Protection: Utilizing advanced technology lets us identify dangerous adulterants and emerging market trends early, allowing us to launch rapid community alerts and targeted risk reduction strategies before threats spread.

• System Wide Support: By monitoring the supply, we strengthen the public health response and arm healthcare providers and families with life saving data.

• Peer Led Trust: Harm reduction was built by people with lived experience, and we believe those voices should remain at the center of this work. Our program will be designed, operated, and led by peers who are deeply connected to the communities we serve throughout the Bronx and across New York City. We know that trust, compassion, and shared experience can open doors that traditional systems often cannot.

Access to life-saving information is a right, not a privilege. Together, we can get ahead of the crisis and protect our community.

Early detection of changes in the drug supply helps protect not only people who use drugs, but also families, and the broader community. With this program we will be able to support service providers, assist healthcare providers, and strengthen public health responses throughout the Bronx and beyond.

As a new, independent, peer-led organization, we need your support to get started and get our program off the ground.

Funds raised through this campaign will support essential startup costs, including:

• Drug-checking equipment, including an FTIR spectrometer

• Software and data management tools

• Test strips and harm reduction supplies

• Outreach and educational materials

• Office and operational expenses

• Community engagement and peer support activities

Every contribution, regardless of size, brings us one step closer to providing lifesaving services to people who need them most.

This project is much more than a professional goal for me—it is deeply personal. Harm reduction helped save my life. It gave me a chance when I needed one. It helped me move from homelessness and instability to a life filled with safety, purpose, family, and hope.

My dream is to create a program that offers that same hope to others.

When you donate, you’re not just funding equipment or supplies. You’re supporting a program that prioritizes evidence-based care, individual dignity, and community driven resources. You’re supporting building a stronger, safer, and more compassionate community. A program that works to keep our neighbors alive and connected to care.

Together, we can expand access to lifesaving services, reduce preventable harm, and ensure people have the resources they need to create a healthier, safer community for everyone.

Thank you for believing in this mission and for helping us create meaningful change.

I hate that it’s very difficult for me to get these roundups out in a timely manner—but the good news is, there isn’t much you’ve missed out on in May, so stay tuned for June! May is my birthday month, so usually I opt for prioritizing joy and leisure as many days as possible, especially since I’m not traveling much these days.

Tyroil Smoochie-Wallace is Fixed!

I had quite a bit to catch up on with testing due to the FTIR being out of commission, and a lot to prepare for for June. By the time the replacement IR Source arrived, it was barely a month away from the annual event I do onsite drug checking for. They sent me the one I paid for, but they never followed up on the one that my warranty covers. I may as well have a backup, considering that I’m writing this now about 2 months since I contacted Bruker. If it were to fail again, I would have to spend at least a month up Bruker’s ass, which is exhausting. Ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat!

Spending Some Time Behind the Booth Again

Volunteering events is great when I’m not responsible for all the things, tbh. I still do it when I think it would be a worthwhile experience—just not for DanceSafe. However, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Remember, I drove 9 hours solo to Ohio pretty much on a whim for 2 years in a row to volunteer with Wicked Clown Harm Reduction at Gathering of the Juggalos? I occasionally volunteer with SafeRave NYC, which is the true continuation of the local DanceSafe chapter I used to operate, despite the fact that there is still some ghost NY DanceSafe chapter with a bunch of folks who never volunteered for me or alongside me.

I volunteer, or at the minimum, visit and spend time with harm reduction organizations every time I travel (even abroad). Unfortunately, I fell off with editing all the footage I had filmed of interviews with harm reduction comrades. I still have a lot of footage with the Afrikaburn safety team and Charity Monareng, the SSDP International Executive Director.

Will I ever get back around to editing these? Honestly, probably not if I don’t enlist some type of help (re: automation), and a lot of information is probably outdated by now. There might be a way to utilize AI to make editing faster, I don’t know. I know it’s trendy to broadly hate on AI (and by AI, most people usually mean LLMs and Generative AI), but there are some quasi ethical and extremely helpful ways to use it imo. AI helps us crack more FTIR libraries and make them compatible for different softwares. Plus, if folks are out here using Crytocurrency/Bitcoin, but blanketly hating on AI—just know that that’s just hypocritical and ignorant.

All of this computing is hard on power grids, heavy on water usage (for cooling), and generally not great for the environment. An unfortunate reality is, these tools often provide layers of protection, independence, and efficiency that are much needed in our hyper-surveiled societal ecosystem, and in street economies like sex work and illicit/unregulated drug markets (and subsequently, harm reduction work). I am personally swiftly moving towards localized AI systems—and I wouldn’t be relying on other people’s work to create anything—I just need a way to computerize and automate the management of gigs upon gigs of my own content and data, and have it organized in a way that allows me to spend less time simply swimming in files and information to audit. Is using localized AI “good” for the environment? Nah. But using it occasionally is far less harmful than running your AC for even half a day, so get off your high horse, you poorly informed, pompous cunts.

New Device!

I got this little toy per Guy Jones’ recommendation to help me overcome the frustrations of testing benzos, in particular. Found it on eBay for an unexpectedly reasonable price, and used a small grant fund from Grassroots Harm Reduction to purchase it.

What is the Jenway 7205?

The Jenway 7205 is a UV-Vis Spectrophotometer. It is great for checking the identity of raw ingredients, measuring the strength of active ingredients, and testing how long a drug lasts before it expires. However, it is not designed for detailed drug screening. While a UV-Vis spectrophotometer and a Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrometer both use light to analyze substances, they operate in completely different regions of the light spectrum (Infrared vs. Ultraviolet and Visible) and provide vastly different information about a sample.

• UV-Vis: Uses high-energy ultraviolet and visible light to cause electronic transitions. It bumps electrons within molecules into higher energy orbits. It is heavily used to find out how much of a known chemical is in a solution (quantitative analysis).

• FTIR: Uses lower-energy infrared light to cause molecular vibrations. Instead of moving electrons, the IR light matches the natural vibration frequencies of chemical bonds, causing them to bend, stretch, or wag. This creates a highly specific “chemical fingerprint” used to identify what an unknown substance is (qualitative identification).

Key Features for Testing Substances

• Full-Range Scanning: The machine shines a special light through a sample to read its overall “chemical fingerprint.”

• Measuring Strength (Concentration): It can compare a sample against up to 6 known, pure standards to figure out exactly how strong a substance is.

• Time Testing (Kinetics): It can watch a sample over time to see how fast a drug breaks down or reacts.

• Quality Control (QC): It checks if pills, liquids, and syrups are pure, properly mixed, and haven’t expired.

Main Limitations

• Sees the “Whole Soup,” Not the Ingredients: If you put a mixed liquid into the machine, it reads everything all at once. It cannot separate similar-looking chemicals from each other unless you clean and separate the sample first.

  • Like UV-Vis, a standard FTIR cannot physically separate a mixture. If you drop a mixture of chemicals onto an FTIR sensor, the instrument will fire infrared light through the entire sample and read it all at once. However, FTIR handles this “soup” much better because of its extreme detail:

    • The Spectral “Fingerprint”: UV-Vis results in broad, smooth, overlapping waves. If two chemicals are in the sample, their waves merge into one unidentifiable blob. FTIR produces highly specific, sharp peaks for every type of chemical bond.

    • Deconvolution Software: Because FTIR peaks are so sharp and distinct, modern FTIR software can mathematically “deconstruct” a mixture. It can look at a messy spectrum and calculate: “This spectrum is a 70% match for chemical A mixed with 30% of chemical B.” UV-Vis software cannot do this.

• No Automatic Screening: It cannot automatically scan a sample to look for a whole list of different drugs (like FTIR). You have to know what you are looking for ahead of time.

  • This is where FTIR functions completely differently than UV-Vis. You do not need to know what you are looking for ahead of time.

    • The Search Engine Advantage: FTIR spectrometers are linked to massive digital database libraries containing tens of thousands of known chemical spectra.

I haven’t yet had the opportunity to take it for a spin, but I have all of the supplies necessary to do so and hopefully can in the next coming months.

Recent Unexpected Drug Checking Results:

3-MMC

• 4-CMC

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

I’ve been seeing 4-(and 3-)CMC popping up sparingly over the years, and I always thought it would become a common adulterant for MDMA (because that was a pattern forming abroad around the mid 2010s). Instead, it seems to be popping up misrepresenting the methylmethcathinone family of recreational drugs. 4-CMC is widely considered to have a much higher risk profile, primarily due to critical concerns regarding severe neurotoxicity.

4-CMC is closely related to para-chloromethamphetamine (pCMA) structurally, which is a known selective neurotoxin used in laboratory settings to intentionally destroy serotonin-producing neurons. While 4-CMC is a cathinone variation, it exhibits significant cytotoxicity and oxidative stress, presenting a much higher risk of permanent or long-term damage to the brain's serotonin system.

3-MMC causes temporary monoamine depletion (leading to a harsh comedown), but is not assumed to be intrinsically cytotoxic in the way 4-CMC is. Taking a "strong" dose of 3-MMC (~250 mg) that is actually 4-CMC can easily result in an acute overdose, and clinical cases report a high incidence of prolonged excited delirium syndrome and acute psychosis. Some experience severe psychotic symptoms lasting 24 to 36 hours after ingestion. Reagent testing doesn’t appear to be reliable for consistently detecting and distinguishing MMC from CMC substances.

Cocaine

• Cocaine + Ketamine

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

I’m guessing this participant accidentally mixed up some of their powders in the sample prep, because otherwise this is an unusual blend to be sold even by mistake. Ketamine tends to overpower the experience, and cocaine was expected so… Yikes.

Primobolan (Methenolone)

• Sourced from “Gym Bro” - Benzyl Benzoate + Testosterone Propionate

• Sourced from “Dark Web” - Benzyl Alcohol + Benzyl Benzoate + Nandrolone Phenylpropionate

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

I’m pretty certain this is the first time I’ve posted Anabolic-androgenic steroids and other performance and image enhancing drug (PIED) test results, despite it being rather common for me outside of testing HRT for trans folks. As some may know, I spent the first 3 years of my transition using Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs), which tend to have little to no effect on hair growth or loss, but is many times more anabolic than testosterone. I was able to virilize a little more comfortably—and much faster, gaining masculine traits without growing facial or thicker body hair, or losing any hair.

It still dysregulates a lot of systems in the body, forcing me to stop after a while, but I learned first hand how chaotic things can be in the body when you’re fucking around with the endocrine system. Hormones regulate a LOT of bodily functions for all sexes, so if you’re dosing the wrong thing and/or at the wrong doses as a cis man, you could end up with accidental titties (gynecomastia) that require surgery to undo—or much worse.

Typically, for cis men, the advantage of using Primobolan is that it doesn’t aromatize—meaning it doesn’t convert to estrogen (causing breast tissue growth). While Nandrolone has low aromatization, it’s not 0, and its progestin activity is high (as opposed to none in Primo), which could cause progesterone-related side effects (water retention, gynecomastia, mood and libido fluctuations, and endogenous testosterone suppression). Aromatization with testosterone is even higher, and experiencing side effects such as water retention, gynecomastia, acne, and hair loss is likely.

There are currently no verified reliable reagent or other at-home testing options for any PIED on the market—especially when it comes down to the different esters, which is also an additional variable that most other PWUDs do not have to think about, which completely dictates how the drug behaves in your body. Knowing your esters is the difference between stable hormone levels and a volatile, ineffective, or high-side-effect cycle.

Knowing steroid esters is critical for three main reasons:

• Injection Timing: Short esters (e.g., Propionate) release quickly and require daily injections; long esters (e.g., Enanthate/Decanoate) release slowly and only need injections once or twice a week.

• Side Effect Control: Matching your injection schedule to the ester’s release rate prevents hormone crashes, which reduces side effects like acne and mood swings. Short esters also clear the body faster if you need to stop due to a bad reaction.

• True Dosage: Esters take up physical weight. A short ester gives you more actual steroid per milligram than a long, heavy ester.

For those using steroids temporarily, timing the recovery phase (Post-Cycle Therapy/PCT) is entirely dependent on the ester. You must wait for the ester to completely clear your body before starting PCT. If you start too early while the long-lasting hormone is still in your system, the PCT medications will fail because your body is still being suppressed. You have to wait a specific number of days or weeks after your last dose—calculated purely by the ester's half-life—for the compounds to fully clear.

This is the reason why y’all should tell your friends and colleagues about my work and share these posts on Substack—Because I know far more about all sorts of drugs and pharmacology than most people doing this work and that’s not debatable. And if I don’t know about a substrance, I know what to look up and how to interpret scientific information so I can figure out how it will interact with different systems and/or other substances in the body.

I am radically revamping the way the mail-in aspect of my drug checking program runs. Read more about it here (with the usual expected cynical commentary):

Recent Projects & Advocacy

April has been a bit of a shitshow. Because of the 2 drug-centering holidays back-to-back (Bicycle Day and 4/20), it’s been challenging to pin folks down at SSDP for resources. Makes sense, since they advocate for both cannabis and psychedelics policy reform and there were many industry events in places like DC. I’m in the middle of getting their shop setup, and the credit card processor underwriters are a pain in the ass to deal with.

Technical Developments & Testing

I recently completed a side-by-side trial comparing methanol extraction of HRT in MCT oil against lipase enzyme hydrolysis. While I lacked the equipment to maintain the enzyme mixture at 100∘FThe methanol extraction yielded some results, but I plan to increase the estradiol input to 2–3 mL to ensure enough material remains post-evaporation for valid testing. My bandwidth for these trials has increased, unfortunately, due to my spectrometer being fucking broken. :) I’ve already paid for the extremely expensive replacement part and have been waiting 84 years for them to ship it. Bruker customer service is terrible. I don’t feel like getting into the rigamarole I’m being put through here…

Kykeon Finally Made an Official Announcement

Not gonna lie, but the radio silence on this move was starting to make me nervous. While the new lab is a massive upgrade, it’s bittersweet knowing so many colleagues abruptly lost their jobs to make this transition possible.

On the practical side, I’m excited about the ease of accessing their services compared to Spain, but without communication to the public for over 2 months, I was beginning to wonder if it was still happening.

The timeline for the move is still extremely nebulous, but hopefully I’ll be able to resume quant analysis soon. Without the contract that allots me a fixed number of free tests, it makes quant far too expensive for me to cover for participants. Sorry, folks :(

Read my thoughts about naming Canada as “the leader” in harm reduction/drug policy.

Recent Unexpected Drug Checking Results:

Pills pressed like Ecstasy tablets

• Caffeine

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

Probably very minimal health concerns with these pills—just an unfortunate waste of money.

2C-B

• 2-MMC

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

Considering that this was sold as 2C-B which is typically dosed between 25mg-30mg (depending on if it’s HCl or HBr) and 2-MMC requires fairly high doses in comparison to even cross the threshold for activity, an unsuspecting user may not experience any serious side effect. It’s the weakest of the commonly circulating MMC family of substances, but still carries many of the same risks, like short-term memory loss. If this substance had been reagent tested, there would be a clear distinction that this isn’t remotely 2C-B. Always reagent test first. It’s more accessible than waiting at a drop-in or going through a mail-in testing service. It would’ve been difficult to decipher which cathinone is present, however, many would opt out of using this relatively unknown, and radically different substance anyway just knowing it yielded these results.

Tell your friends and colleagues about my work and share these posts on Substack. Let’s expand access to drug checking together!

With Drugs Data shuttered, Kykeon Labs (Formerly Kykeon Analytics) on a temporary (but likely very lengthy) hiatus, and DanceSafe navigating a major financial crisis that has resulted in the layoff of all paid staff and shifts the test kit program into the hands of Transparency (AKA Bunk Police, a company that I simply do not have the time to drag to filth without exceeding the character limit), the options for reagent and lab-grade analysis are dwindling. What was once a diverse ecosystem of transparency is rapidly narrowing, leaving a void that risks being monopolized services by opportunistic entities.

In a bold attempt to double down on radical accessibility, I’m relaunching the Rebel Analytics Chemical Analysis Program (CAP), an aggressive expansion of community-led drug checking infrastructure. To further remove barriers to life-saving services, the relaunched CAP now provides participants with 4 free qualitative harm reduction tests every month, alongside the in-progress Ambassador Program.

A Mission, Not a Career Path

The point of this relaunch is simple—People weren’t using the service.

Whether the process felt too convoluted, the word wasn’t getting out, or there was a general wariness toward a “new” name in the mix, the engagement wasn’t matching the necessity. But let’s set the record straight: This is not new.

We take the work you’ve already come to trust—the efforts previously housed under umbrellas like DanceSafe and NEXT Distro—and bring them into a single, focused mission under the stewardship of a name (or at least a face) you’re probably familiar with (me, Phoenix AKA “Mohawk”).

In an environment where harm reduction is increasingly professionalized (and priced accordingly), the purpose of our storefront is straightforward: revenue exists solely to subsidize service.

By creating a consistent stream of income through the shop and the support via the Open Collective, we can keep our testing services at the lowest price points available—and, crucially, provide them for free to anyone experiencing financial hardship.

To be clear, I don’t make a living from testing, and realistically, I probably never will. While that kind of stability would be a dream, it isn’t the goal. Access is.

For the foreseeable future, my primary income will continue to come from outside career projects, like it always has for years.

A Track Record of Independent Advocacy

This “community-first, paycheck-second” approach is baked into my DNA. It’s the same ethos that drove me while:

• Operating the NY DanceSafe chapter for eight years (unpaid).

• Kickstarting three additional subchapters to expand coverage across North Jersey, New England, and Western New York (on my own dime).

By keeping my personal livelihood mostly separate from the drug checking initiative, it helps ensure that the mission remains incorruptible and that the services remain accessible for the people.

Solidarity vs. Selling Out

The harm reduction landscape is a hot ass mess. Between a hostile administration and the kind of in-group fractiousness usually reserved for failing communes, discerning who actually serves the community has become exhaustingly complicated. Trust is a rare currency, especially when you see former leaders decide to pivot from PWUD and public health advocacy to... whatever Mitchell Gomez is doing.

Former Executive Director of DanceSafe, Mitchell Gomez, has established a "Temple of Harmreduction." It’s an interesting choice of branding for a psychedelic-exceptionalist church that looks less like a sanctuary for all drug users and more like a cult with a tax exemption. In light of this, I think it’s time I’ve openly addressed a couple of things that have occurred after Mitchell blocked me during his post-firing crash out that never sat right with me.

Many months later, he sent me a text message that contained only a selfie of himself and a former colleague of mine—an odd way to signal my un-banning. I commented “Guess I’m unblocked now? Lol.” Apparently, he was “butthurt” over a comment I made along the lines of calling him a “Conquistador” in a private context—a term I’ve adopted from others in the Latin American harm reduction community to highlight the irony of a man who centers his indigeneity while aggressively pandering to white stakeholders in the psychedelic reform space. No doubt, one of his dedicated white loyalists found the term sufficiently offensive to report back to him. Honestly, my level of concern regarding their collective fragility is effectively zero.

In an attempt to deflect, he drew an ironic comparison to Kamala Harris, suggesting I wouldn’t call her a “slave owner” despite her complex mixed ancestry. But this isn't a debate about literal lineage; it’s a critique of community solidarity. To understand why that comparison fails, one must look at Harris’s documented track record of policies that disproportionately harmed Black and Brown communities. So, while "slave owner" isn't an appropriate slur, there is certainly a conversation to be had about leadership that sacrifices its own community for institutional gain and a more suitable label. Bear with me (or bare, if you feel the urge to get undressed in a culty fashion) while I present a VERY abridged list:

• Drug Enforcement: Oversaw nearly 2,000 marijuana convictions, contributing to a War on Drugs that historically disproportionately impacts Black men.

• Truancy Prosecution: Championed laws that criminalized parents (mostly women of color) for their children’s school absences, often penalizing poverty and housing instability.

• Appellate Record: Adhered to a “win-at-all-costs” strategy, at times fighting to uphold convictions despite evidence of prosecutorial misconduct or withholding DNA testing.

• Police Accountability: Resisted legislation for independent investigations into fatal police shootings and declined to mandate statewide body cameras.

• Prison Labor: Her office infamously argued against early prisoner releases because the state would lose a pool of cheap labor for fighting wildfires.

This brings us back to the work. At one point, there was a proposal to provide test strips at cost to Indigenous harm reduction groups through DanceSafe’s newly emerging test strip manufacturer, WHPM. Mitchell rejected that deal, and the price was subsequently marked up from 38 cents to approx. 45 cents per strip. There are people and organizations claiming to represent us and our best interests, but are profiting at the community's expense. I’m tired of folks playing in all of our faces (and then acting like a victim when they get called out on their hypocrisy and lack of authenticity).

Anyway, here’s the new monthly toolkit that we’ll be offering:

• 4 Free Tests Monthly: Guaranteed access to qualitative analysis each month utilizing FTIR spectroscopy, immunoassay strip and reagent testing, and Thin Layer Chromatography (which we’re also learning to utilize for quantification methods).

• Improved Sample ID (SID) System: A more secure and more robust, anonymous lookup system that allows users to access their results without ever providing any personal identifying information. You can now see a full history of ALL of your test results.

• The Rebel Analytics Ambassador Program: This emerging Ambassador Program is a peer-led initiative where community members earn credits for outreach tasks—credits that directly fund drug checking supplies and services for the Ambassador and their local community. This partnership enables Rebel Analytics to prioritize technical service delivery while empowering community members to spearhead growth.

And in the works to come!

A “Barter-for-Impact” Ambassador Program

To build upon the 4 free monthly tests, Rebel Analytics is launching an Ambassador Initiative. By adopting a “Barter for Service” model, valuing community engagement as a formal currency and—empowering supporters to help spread the word and expand access to these essential services.

While the full program details are currently being finalized, Ambassador Initiative participants will be able to unlock exclusive rewards beyond the standard four monthly tests. Benefits include:

• Additional Testing Slots: Increased monthly capacity for mail-based analysis.

• Advanced Analytics: Earn credits toward higher-level services like quantification and isomer testing.

• Supplies & Gear: Access to free or discounted safer-use supplies and kits through the Rebel Analytics shop.

Not trying to toot my own horn here, but I’m not aware of any drug checking service that is offering any amount of mail-based and in-person services free of charge. While this model isn't 'sustainable' in the traditional business sense—and honestly, it never has been—it has always necessary. With this fact in mind, I may as well prioritize increasing my capacity and impact. I will continue to rely on the community: through Open Collective donations, honor-system payments from those who can afford them, and hiring me for more research or on-site drug checking gigs.

This is an important discussion to be having, especially as Canada is quietly regressing.

The Myth of Canadian Supremacy

For several months, I had collaborated with Kykeon Labs in Spain on their market monitoring program and to help source materials for building out their FTIR spectral library. I’m assuming that the rigamarole involved in doing this when some vendors (especially those that specialize in things related to Kratom) do not ship to Europe is one of many barriers that prompted the service to look far elsewhere. However in the official announcement, they named Canada as the “global leader” in harm reduction.

This may be true in the specific context of regulatory bodies’ involvement, however characterizing Canada as the definitive “global leader” in harm reduction—while painting Spain’s landscape as untenably chaotic—is a misleading narrative. This "pedestalizing" of Canadian policy favors centralized, state-sanctioned bureaucracy over the organic, community-led successes that have defined harm reduction movements for decades.

Spain, for instance, is often unfairly characterized as lacking a stable framework for drug checking despite boasting programs like Energy Control, which has operated since 1999 and as an International Drug Testing Service since 2014. Spain’s "bottom-up" approach—where autonomous regions like Catalonia implement safe consumption spaces and heroin-assisted treatment despite federal opposition—demonstrates a resilience that Canada’s rigid, top-down model lacks.

Not to mention, Spain was one of the first European countries to decriminalize drug use, with some “states” taking these measures as early as the 1980s.

Conditional Compassion in Canada

Canada’s current model is defined by a "stifling medicalization" that functions as a gatekeeping mechanism. Harm reduction is only permitted if it fits within a sterile, state-sanctioned box, ultimately remaining subservient to the carceral state.

If anyone has been following the details surrounding the Drug User Liberation Front (DULF) and Get Your Drugs Tested (GYDT) over the last few years, it seems that Canada’s stance on what’s permissible for harm reduction is highly conditional, fragile, and ultimately subservient to the carceral state. Canada’s harm reduction is a bureaucratic facade that actively undermines community survival—but nobody’s really talking about that.

• The Drug User Liberation Front (DULF) operated a "Compassion Club" in Vancouver for over a year, providing tested, predictable substances to members. Despite recording zero overdose deaths among its participants, the state responded by charging the founders with trafficking rather than scaling the successful pilot.

• Get Your Drugs Tested (GYDT), a vital community-led service, has faced repeated raids in 2023 and 2025. By targeting the medicinal dispensaries that fund this non-profit, the state is performing a de facto shutdown of life-saving services under the guise of enforcement.

  

• In 2023, Health Canada’s own expert advisors recommended expanding non-medicalized, community-led "safer supply" models. The government not only ignored this counsel but actively defunded 31 pilot programs, signaling that its commitment to harm reduction was a temporary experiment rather than a deep ideological shift.

  

Canada may have more objectively been considered the leader in harm reduction and drug policy a few years ago, but as it currently stands, it is a state in conflict with its own harm reduction experts and pioneers. If the “global leader” in harm reduction is a place where you have to sue the government for the right to save people from a toxic supply, then that leadership is a myth.

Have we lost sight of what prompted the harm reduction movement in the first place: addressing the urgent need to keep people alive when the government abandoned its people who were suffering from illness and drug-related harms?

Meanwhile in the Global South…

While Western nations struggle with bureaucratic retrenchment, the Global South is actively rewriting the rules of engagement. Latin America has borne the brunt of prohibition-related violence, so it’s no surprise the region is leading the exit strategy.

Once again, why is no one ever talking about Uruguay? Uruguay is, and low-key always has always been, a true pioneer in my opinion. Unlike most Western nations, Uruguay has never criminalized the possession of drugs for personal use, a stance that survived even during periods of civic-military dictatorship. Since 2013, its first-of-its-kind regulated cannabis market has effectively stripped power from local cartels while maintaining social stability.

While most of the world was adopting the U.S.-style “War on Drugs” model, Uruguay maintained a uniquely liberal stance that survived even through a civic-military dictatorship.

Bolivia’s "coca yes, cocaine no" policy protects indigenous traditions, while Colombia’s "Total Peace" framework shifts focus from punishing poor farmers to dismantling high-level trafficking networks.

In countries like Argentina, Mexico, and Ecuador, the courts have been the primary drivers of reform, instead of the gatekeeper (like in Canada). High courts have repeatedly ruled that punishing an adult for what they consume in private is unconstitutional. Mexico has gone a step further, formally legalizing private recreational cannabis use in 2021.

What Policy Looks Like Outside of Latin America

Once synonymous with draconian penalties, Southeast Asia is undergoing a profound transformation. In 2021, Thailand decriminalized cannabis and overhauled its Narcotics Code to prioritize rehabilitation over incarceration. Similarly, Malaysia abolished the mandatory death penalty for trafficking in 2023, reframing minor possession as a public health issue.

Progress in Africa is often measured by “harm reduction”—keeping people alive and healthy rather than just punishing them. In nations like Mauritius and South Africa have emerged as regional hubs for needle exchanges and opioid substitution therapy, proving that medical intervention is more effective than criminal enforcement.

This island nation of Mauritius operates some of the most robust methadone and needle-exchange programs in the Global South, proving that medical intervention is more effective than a badge.

Decentering Western Hegemony in Harm Reduction and Drug Policy Reform

In contrast to the highly medicalized and state-sanctioned frameworks prioritized by the West, harm reduction across Uruguay, Bolivia, Mexico, Argentina, and Ecuador is defined by judicial activism, indigenous sovereignty, and survival-based pragmatism.

While Canada is frequently pedestalized as the global benchmark, these nations demonstrate that sovereign solutions—rooted in human rights and the dismantling of colonial prohibitionist structures—offer a far more resilient and authentic path forward.

When a manufactured opioid epidemic ravages a nation, as seen with the fentanyl crises in the U.S. and Canada, it is paramount to enact policies that serve public health and safety—not an expanded medical-industrial complex that stifles any progress made outside its rigid parameters. Canada’s "regulatory security" often functions as a gatekeeping mechanism, permitting only "sterile," state-sanctioned interventions while actively suppressing radical, community-led survival models.

The Global South may not always boast the most impressive laboratory facilities, but it increasingly establishes policy foundations that support—rather than obstruct—grassroots movements. Colombia’s primary drug-checking initiative, Échele Cabeza Cuando se de en la Cabeza, serves as a prime example. Launched in 2013 as a peer-led, activist-driven project, it provides sophisticated market monitoring and life-saving information without the stifling bureaucracy seen in the North.

The move away from carceral laws and enforcement is not merely a moral choice, but a matter of state security and resource management, showing a more vested interest in improving overall public health and creating more stability. By constantly dick-riding western nations like Canada, we turn a blind eye to glaring failures and institutional hypocrisy. We ignore how the Global South—frequently criticized by the West—is actually leading the world toward a more pragmatic reality where drug use is treated as a social fact rather than a moral or criminal failing.

I’ve been focusing my efforts recently on several high-priority projects and personal commitments, which has temporarily limited the time I can devote to updating my shop and professional services.

Recent Projects & Advocacy

Much of my recent work has involved technical developments for the SSDP website, where I’ve been implementing new features and site updates. Additionally, I have been leading the web development for the Decriminalize Now coalition. Outside of my professional responsibilities, I have been serving as an aide for my partner during their recovery from top surgery.

Technical Developments & Testing

On the technical side, I am preparing to begin testing using enzymes to isolate the substances. With the recent acquisition of a laboratory hot plate, I can now maintain the precise temperatures required to optimize enzymatic activity.

• Efficiency Goals: By increasing the thermal energy, I aim to accelerate the catalytic breakdown of substances significantly.

• Target Metrics: I hope to reduce the processing duration from its current timeframe of upwards of one week to approximately 24 hours.

Logistics and Community Access

Finally, I am in the process of finalizing logistics for a dedicated sample collection point. I am currently coordinating with community partners in Brooklyn to establish a secure location for the drop-off and pick-up of sample collection kits and materials. My goal is to have a participating establishment confirmed and operational by the end of this month.

Thank you for your patience as I balance these various initiatives. I look forward to sharing further progress next month!

My website imploded—but it’s back!

Last month, I shared that I moved my website over to a new server based in Estonia. The goal was twofold: to protect the site from potential shifts in digital freedom and to take advantage of a host that offers reliable service at a fair price.

Everything seemed to be running smoothly at first, but unfortunately, the tech gods had other plans. Shortly after the transition, the site template decided to completely crash unexpectedly, creating a massive shitshow for repair.

Glitches had been reported when trying to utilize the Submit Sample Form. Pretty frustrating, since it was only sometime last year I rebuilt all my websites on this template because I was familiar with it and liked the setup. The most recent update to the theme changes everything and therefor breaks the entire site, so avoiding this major update, the theme seemingly became incompatible with other plugins and tools.

Now, the site is out of its limited state and everything important is back in order.

And the good news is, now I can more easily make the changes I want to make to the site—namely rebuilding the functionality around the shop and enrolling in CAP. I’m using a template that I use as the foundation for most other client websites, including DanceSafe, SSDP, and is also used on Grassroots Harmreduction. This setback has delayed quite a bit. I’d really like for my shop to become more active as I have to pay for the credit card processor and other payment and shipping-related services.

Collaborations w/ Kykeon on hold…

If you’ve visited the Kykeon site recently, you likely noticed the banner indicating that they aren’t currently processing new orders for testing. Unfortunately, it looks like the last 7 tests I submitted won’t be completed anytime soon—if at all—as the entire lab is currently in the process of relocating from Spain to Canada.

While I want to respect their privacy regarding the finer details of the move, this transition does directly impact my own testing capabilities. I’ve been relying on Kykeon for hormone testing (which they were generously providing free of charge) while assisting them with their marketing monitoring program to help expand their FTIR reference library.

Relocating a lab to a new country and staffing up is a massive undertaking, so I don’t expect this to be a quick transition. While there’s no official timeline yet, I anticipate downtime of at least 4 months before things are back to normal. I’ll keep folks posted as I figure out the best way to move forward in the meantime.

Recent Unexpected Drug Checking Results:

Adderall (Amphetamine)

• Inconclusive

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

I could not detect any amphetamine in the substance, even with a amphetamine strip. However, the reagent test results look weird af. If I recall correctly, from top to bottom: Marquis, Froehde, Liebermann, Simons. The reagent results are completely unfamiliar to me and don’t match any substance I have colorimetric reactions for. No idea what this pill might be comprised of, and therefore could be anything from completely benign or relatively safe to dangerous or deadly.

Xanax (Alprazolam)

• Inconclusive

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

Normally when I see bunk Xanax, it’s bromazolam—which is a bit stronger it seems that xanax, but close enough. I could not detect the benzo in the lighter blue pill, so it is on its way to be GCMS tested. The detail that makes this specifically concerning than not identifying any benzo in the substance via the FTIR, is the fact that for the first time in any test that I’ve done on FTIR, I’m seeing a hit for BTMPS. This is a calcium channel blocker, which are known to cause disruptions in electrical impulses that control the heart—meaning that this substance can cause heart failure. BTMPS is used as a light stabilizer. BTMPS is reportedly used in the manufacturing and packaging of pharmaceutical products. As far as I’m aware, it’s not technically psychoactive otherwise. Until I understand what drug or combination of substances are in this pill, it seems particularly dangerous because the library hits I’m getting are wildly different from any benzo I’ve ever tested, so I’m erring on the side of caution.

Tell your friends and colleagues about my work and share these posts on Substack. Let’s expand access to drug checking together!

Building these complex systems alone is hard and my capacity is limited. However, I’m still implementing the below methods of support:

Hands-On Ways to Support: Let’s Work Together

I’m looking to team up with folks who want to make drug checking and harm reduction truly accessible. My goal is to get localized, affordable testing and supplies directly to the people who need them most—prioritizing people who use drugs (PWUD), grassroots groups, and marginalized communities.

Everything I do through Rebel Harm Reduction is built on community autonomy, mutual aid, and zero judgment. No gatekeeping—just data and safety.

• Drug checking and chemical analysis services through Rebel Analytics and partner labs.

• Harm reduction supplies and education.

• Low-cost or free services and resources for underserved populations.

These collaborations are grounded in the principles of community autonomy, accessibility, mutual aid, and non-judgment.

Partnering with Grassroots Organizations

I’m setting up a monthly subscription model so organizations can provide professional drug checking to their participants without the usual hurdles. Instead of a per-sample headache, we’ll negotiate a flat monthly fee that covers what you need.

What’s included for your team:

• Monthly Testing Allotment: A set number of samples analyzed every month, tailored to your volume and budget.

• 48-Hour Turnaround: You get results back within two days of the lab receiving the sample. Speed saves lives.

• The "Second Opinion" Hotline: Direct access to me. If a test strip looks weird, a colorimetric reaction is ambiguous, or you’ve got a complex pharmacological question during outreach, you can hit me up. I’m here to back up your peer-led education with lab-grade data.

• Digital Portal: A dedicated space for your staff to track samples and review historical data.

• Quarterly Training: Once a season, I’ll run a deep-dive session for your staff/volunteers on how to interpret analytical data and level up your field education.

The Rebel Analytics “Data Rebellion” Ambassador Program

If you don’t have the budget but have the hustle, I’m launching a Barter-for-Service framework. I want to turn supporters into “Tactical Advocates.”

Basically, you help me spread the word, and you earn Credits that pay for drug checking services and supplies for yourself or your community.

Examples of how to earn credits:

• Digital Noise: Posting on socials (LinkedIn/X/IG), engaging with industry threads, or tagging influencers.

• Boots on the Ground: Putting up stickers or flyers at venues and community centers (keep it legal, obviously).

• Signal Boosting: Giving Rebel Analytics a shout-out on your podcast, in interviews, or during outreach.

• Distribution: Handing out harm reduction kits or testing supplies that include Rebel Analytics info.

Keep your receipts—since Rebel Harm Reduction is a registered non-profit, some of your out-of-pocket costs for ambassador work may be tax-deductible.

Sound good? Want to get involved?

Hit me up: phx@therebeleducationist.com

Hands-Off Ways to Support: Feeling Philanthropic?

• The most effective way to support my full-spectrum drug checking services is by contributing via Open Collective or signing up for a paid Substack subscription. Rebel Harm Reduction is a registered non-profit, so your donations are tax-deductible.

• You can also send funds directly via CashApp or Venmo. If you are international and require PayPal, I can provide that information upon request.

• Alternatively, if you have specific testing needs, you can visit my online shop to purchase drug checking supplies, resources, or mail-based analysis services.

• Join me on other platforms (Substack is my main hub, but I’m looking to revive these specific spaces soon):

  • YouTube - I’m aiming to revive this channel later this year.

  • Twitch - I’ve been streaming occasionally, but the current setup is a bit clunky. I’m pausing this until I have a smoother arrangement.

As for other social platforms, I’ve decided to move away from them. I’ve cut back on crossposting services that don't add real value, as a "follow" on a platform I don't use doesn't truly support the mission. I’m focusing my energy where it counts.

Ways to Contact Me

• Discord: @phoenix.mohawk

• Email:

  • General Inquiries - phx@therebeleducationist.com

  • Drug Checking related discussions - phxmohawk@proton.me

Recent News…

Black Futures Month Feature

Deeep Space Craft, a vital safe haven for Black, Indigenous LGBTQI in New Orleans, featured me and dozens of other folks to celebrate and uplift Black (DOCS- descendants of chattel slavery), Queer & Trans History makers of Today. Check out their post, donate to their GoFundMe and give a follow if their platform resonates with you.

Resuming Social Media Posting…?

I’m going to try to make Test It Tuesday posts again, like old times. It will be on my IG and TikTok for Rebel Analytics. I’ve tried month after month to no avail to get the handle rebel.analytics on TikTok, even by creating a new profile, but it gives me an error no matter what. The handle moving forward until further notice is rebel_analytics. These posts will just highlight a random handful of recent tests. It will not be a good way to see your test results. I will always be in direct contact with people for that kind of thing, or make sure you have your Sample ID to lookup. Here’s a sneak peak of tomorrow’s post.

Major changes, you say?

Yes, unfortunately. Why unfortunate? Because some of those changes has resulted in some major setbacks, even though necessary.

1. Rebel Analytics is now hosted on an offshore server (hello Estonia, is my e-residency still valid? 😅), and using the much simpler url rebelanalytics.co. I’m still working on making sure all the redirects are working properly from the old url. Everything is fully functional, as far as I’m aware.

2. I have been betrayed by my Wordpress theme which powers ALL of my domains: Rebel Harm Reduction, The Rebel Educationist, and Rebel Analytics. I JUST synchronized all of these last year, just for them to abandon the layout builder I use and switch to another one. The shop templates weren’t that great anyway, but this is not something I really have time to handle. But to make sure plugin updates don’t fall out of date and become incompatible, I will have to do this soonish.

3. I’m completely re-imagining the way paying for and mailing in samples works. There’s a reason for this that I don’t feel like disclosing and I probably shouldn’t. Ha!

4. Product labels and their instructions all need a redesign. To hastily get the shop setup, I basically used Grassroots Harm Reduction’s assets as a template. Eman is not a designer and I find most of it to look ugly, for lack of a more sophisticated word. The submission cards also could use a redesign, because I’m abandoning using QR codes to scan for submitting info and looking up results. It’s just way too tedious to keep generating those, and chatGPT no longer automates it for me, so I refuse to do monotonous work like this.

There’s more, but this is just covering the parts that mostly entail redoing shit, vs offering something completely fresh.

Recent Unexpected Drug Checking Results:

I haven’t seen anything particularly unique or egregious, and I’ve already talked about the implications of using MDMA when you thought you had 4-MMC. The other test result were for LSD blotters that appeared to contain 1P-LSD, based on FTIR results and the very slow reactions on the Ehrlich reagent.

Unrelated, but important: My partner is getting top surgery! Please donate to their recovery expenses :)

Tell your friends and colleagues about my work and share these posts on Substack. Let’s expand access to drug checking together!

First roundup of the year and I’m already lagging behind on this and other projects—but so much has been happening in the background that it’s not for a lack of productivity. I still grapple with having nothing to show for how busy I’ve been, but I think I just need to put some feelers out now, even if things don't feel as "complete" or "polished" as I’d like.

Hands-On Ways to Support: Let’s Work Together

I’m looking to team up with folks who want to make drug checking and harm reduction truly accessible. My goal is to get localized, affordable testing and supplies directly to the people who need them most—prioritizing people who use drugs (PWUD), grassroots groups, and marginalized communities.

Everything I do through Rebel Harm Reduction is built on community autonomy, mutual aid, and zero judgment. No gatekeeping—just data and safety.

• Drug checking and chemical analysis services through Rebel Analytics and partner labs.

• Harm reduction supplies and education.

• Low-cost or free services and resources for underserved populations.

These collaborations are grounded in the principles of community autonomy, accessibility, mutual aid, and non-judgment.

Partnering with Grassroots Organizations

I’m setting up a monthly subscription model so organizations can provide professional drug checking to their participants without the usual hurdles. Instead of a per-sample headache, we’ll negotiate a flat monthly fee that covers what you need.

What’s included for your team:

• Monthly Testing Allotment: A set number of samples analyzed every month, tailored to your volume and budget.

• 48-Hour Turnaround: You get results back within two days of the lab receiving the sample. Speed saves lives.

• The "Second Opinion" Hotline: Direct access to me. If a test strip looks weird, a colorimetric reaction is ambiguous, or you’ve got a complex pharmacological question during outreach, you can hit me up. I’m here to back up your peer-led education with lab-grade data.

• Digital Portal: A dedicated space for your staff to track samples and review historical data.

• Quarterly Training: Once a season, I’ll run a deep-dive session for your staff/volunteers on how to interpret analytical data and level up your field education.

The Rebel Analytics “Data Rebellion” Ambassador Program

If you don’t have the budget but have the hustle, I’m launching a Barter-for-Service framework. I want to turn supporters into “Tactical Advocates.”

Basically, you help me spread the word, and you earn Credits that pay for drug checking services and supplies for yourself or your community.

Examples of how to earn credits:

• Digital Noise: Posting on socials (LinkedIn/X/IG), engaging with industry threads, or tagging influencers.

• Boots on the Ground: Putting up stickers or flyers at venues and community centers (keep it legal, obviously).

• Signal Boosting: Giving Rebel Analytics a shout-out on your podcast, in interviews, or during outreach.

• Distribution: Handing out harm reduction kits or testing supplies that include Rebel Analytics info.

Keep your receipts—since Rebel Harm Reduction is a registered non-profit, some of your out-of-pocket costs for ambassador work may be tax-deductible.

Sound good? Want to get involved?

Hit me up: phx@therebeleducationist.com

Hands-Off Ways to Support: Feeling Philanthropic?

• The most effective way to support my full-spectrum drug checking services is by contributing via Open Collective or signing up for a paid Substack subscription. Rebel Harm Reduction is a registered non-profit, so your donations are tax-deductible.

• You can also send funds directly via CashApp or Venmo. If you are international and require PayPal, I can provide that information upon request.

• Alternatively, if you have specific testing needs, you can visit my online shop to purchase drug checking supplies, resources, or mail-based analysis services.

• Join me on other platforms (Substack is my main hub, but I’m looking to revive these specific spaces soon):

  • YouTube - I’m aiming to revive this channel later this year.

  • Twitch - I’ve been streaming occasionally, but the current setup is a bit clunky. I’m pausing this until I have a smoother arrangement.

As for other social platforms, I’ve decided to move away from them. I’ve cut back on crossposting services that don't add real value, as a "follow" on a platform I don't use doesn't truly support the mission. I’m focusing my energy where it counts.

Ways to Contact Me

• Discord: @phoenix.mohawk

• Email:

  • General Inquiries - phx@therebeleducationist.com

  • Drug Checking related discussions - phxmohawk@proton.me

Recent News…

Office Hour Drop-ins/Drop-offs

Getting this rolling has been tough because I’m not quite ready to increase my testing workload yet. I also don’t have the capacity to commit to being in the same place at the same time every week, so I’m shifting to appointment-only. Drop-ins just don’t work for my current schedule. The ideal setup would be a drop-off system, and I’m still figuring out how to make that as accessible as possible. I’ll post an update once I have the logistics sorted.

WHPM Nitazene Test Strips—Still Pending

While I don’t have direct control over the manufacturing and shipping of these products, I anticipate they will be arriving soon. In the meantime, I’m making a bulk purchase of BTNX strips. They aren’t my first choice, but I like to keep both types on hand for cross-checking substances known for sensitivities and false positives.

Market Monitoring with Kykeon Analytics, and Other Global Objectives

I mentioned this a few roundups ago, but the project had to be put on hold for a while. It’s finally back, and with access to new vendors and a budget, I’m hoping to use this as an opportunity to collect samples to verify test strip accuracy—specifically against synthetic cannabinoids.

Very few people are looking into this, but based on my research abroad, it is an extremely prominent class of substances. In my opinion, North America doesn’t need more people focusing solely on the fentanyl, xylazine, and medetomidine crises; many other organizations and labs are better equipped to track and respond to those. Since that specific issue is almost exclusively centered in the U.S., I’m less interested in prioritizing it.

In fact, the main reason we are getting Nitazene strips from WHPM is because I drew attention to the issue. Through testing street opioid supplies in the Bronx (via St. Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction), we quickly determined that caffeine does not appear to cause false positives in the quantities typically found in opioid mixtures.

Recent Unexpected Drug Checking Results:

I haven’t seen anything truly ‘unexpected’ lately. For instance, I haven’t tested an orange Adderall 30mg tablet in months that wasn’t methamphetamine. At this point, it’s so predictable it’s hardly worth reporting; the legitimate supply seems to have run dry.

On the other hand, I have come across a few amphetamine samples that were, in fact, amphetamine. Consider this your monthly reminder that reagents can reliably distinguish between amphetamine and methamphetamine—a distinction I demonstrate every time I test a pill that turns up positive for meth.

I always check, just in case there’s an off-chance a pill might flag a false positive—but they don’t. In fact, certain pills can be quite difficult to analyze with the spectrometer. Unless you are unable to get a conclusive result with reagents, I would prefer not to continue testing pills expected to be Adderall or MDMA.

The FTIR won’t provide the purity of these substances (especially in pill form), and we aren’t currently seeing adulterants that are difficult to distinguish via reagents. Marquis turns orange for amphetamines and purple for MDMA/MDA—but Simon’s won’t react to amphetamine or MDA. Simon’s turns blue for methamphetamine and MDMA.

This is Drug Checking 101. Honestly, it’s a bit tedious for me, as I was teaching these basics nearly 15 years ago. Please, buy a test kit. If you don’t have the funds, hit me up about the Ambassador Program I outlined at the beginning of this post.

Tell your friends and colleagues about my work and share these posts on Substack. Let’s expand access to drug checking together!

It’s been a whole year and a month of Rebel Roundups! Thanks for riding with me if you’ve been subscribed all this time and still actively reading. If you only read some of these—I’m still grateful. Follows and subscriptions mean nothing in this attention economy. You could be on another platform engaging with AI slop, shit posting, brain rot, and bots and agitators posting from overseas posing as American Neo Nazis, but instead you’re reading my words that could take upwards of 5 minutes of your time. If you’re using the reading tool on Substack—please don’t. Having the voice of an AI generated white man reading my words is offensive. I’m going to write the word nigga in here just to make you uncomfortable, just in case you’re already doing so.

Ways to Support

• The most helpful way to support my full spectrum drug checking services is by contributing on my Open Collective or signing up for a paid Substack subscription. Rebel Harm Reduction is a registered non-profit if you want to write your donations off on your taxes.

• You can also use my links to directly CashApp or Venmo funds. If you’re international and need PayPal, I can provide this on request.

• Alternatively, I have a shop where you can purchase drug checking supplies and resources and/or pay for mail-based drug checking services, if you have drug checking needs.

• Join me on online platforms (outside of Substack, most are fairly inactive)

  • Signal group (contact me for access)

  • YouTube

  • Instagram

    • Rebel Harm Reduction

    • Rebel Analytics

  • Tiktok

    • The Rebel Educationist

    • Rebel Analytics (this will change next month to “rebel.analytics”, it’s been a struggle to get TikTok’s name updating feature to work properly)

  • Twitch (I swear I’m going to revive this in 2026)

  • Bluesky (busted RSS feed)

  • Mastodon (busted RSS feed)

  • Discord Server (not accepting new members atm so don’t worry about it lol)

Everything else I have no interest in platforming so I’m not using them at all or inviting folks to follow them.

Ways to Contact Me

• Discord: @phoenix.mohawk

• Email:

  • General Inquiries - phx@therebeleducationist.com

  • Drug Checking related discussions - phxmohawk@proton.me

2025 in Review!

Recent News…

Office Hour Drop-ins/Drop-offs

I’ll be starting a weekly Substack newsletter that will outline office hours for each week, allowing folks who are local to schedule drop-in/drop-off testing services. This Substack will not be public. I’ll be setting it to private mode so that the only folks receiving updates are approved subscribers that will benefit from knowing when I’m available. If you’ve utilized local testing services already and would like to be added as a subscriber to the Rebel Analytics email list, let me know!

WHPM Nitazene Test Strips On the Way!

The WHPM Nitazene strips are in production and on the way. I can’t wait to get these out to international organizations.

Rebel Analytics Shop and Product Updates

The Rebel Analytics shop has unfortunately been rather dormant since official launch in June 2025, but in 2026 I will be making more of a concerted effort to bring more awareness to the products and testing services, adding a few new services/products, revamping the website a bit to be easier to navigate and understand the offerings, AND I will be rolling out a number of ways to earn free testing services. I am looking to partner with other relevant organizations to do some cross-promotion and collaborations. If this is something that interests you, reach out!

Recent Unexpected Drug Checking Results:

4-MMC (Mephedrone)

• MDMA

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

Mephedrone is growing in popularity in the US. MDMA and mephedrone are similar in psychoactive effects, but duration is significantly shorter with mephedrone, which attributes to binge use. Mephedrone appears somewhat safer and less damaging than MDMA based on the current research, which makes it appealing for party-goers to use more regularly—especially since acute tolerance occurs with MDMA use and not so much with mephedrone. Unfortunately, this was not tested in advance, and the user was frequently consuming MDMA under the impression that it was mephedrone, and began to experience psychosis or psychosis-like effects.

Ketamine

• Ketamine + MSM

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

It is a fairly common occurrence to find MSM cut in Ketamine and it’s pretty harmless other than diluting and weakening the batch, but it is not easily detectable with the reagents. These batches had already been tested with reagents, but a user was concerned about the Ketamine “smoking” when cooked. There were multiple batches, older and newer; this was a batch labeled “new” which also contained some MSM—however it seemed fairly minimal, so the FTIR spectrometer was having a difficult time picking up on it as well. I decided to try an acetone wash, which would dissolve the MSM without dissolving the Ketamine, and retested the sample and found no trace MSM on the spectrometer. The difference in weight seemed very negligible as well, so the user is going to simply wash their batches before cooking.

Mystery Substance From The 70s

• 2C-B

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

Figured I’d end the year on a fun note! This vial came from someone in California who was given this substance back in the 70s, but had no idea what it was so they never used it. After relaying the results, the participant said that they had gotten it from the Shulgin Farm. 2C-B was synthesized in 1974, so this could very well be one of the earliest batches of 2C-B ever created by Alexander Shulgin. So cool! 😃

🎉 🎊 🍾 🥳 🥂 🙌🏾 Happy New Year! 🎉 🎊 🍾 🥳 🥂 🙌🏾

Tell your friends and colleagues about my work. Share my posts on Substack. Let’s expand access to drug checking together!

A lot will need to change come 2026. I want to put more energy into these publications (and make sure my shop is in a place to scale). While my focus is not to provide a bunch of infographics and educational resources that folks are used to from my Instagram days, I want to be providing more commentary and analysis which is often relegated to very insular harm reduction forums/spaces, or lost in the brain rot and bot-generated scandals of the big social media platforms. I also still have a lot of old content that could benefit from reformatting for this specific platform. AND producing videos again. I think I may migrate off of YouTube as my primary video platform to Vimeo, so I don’t have to worry about censorship and trolls. My content doesn’t particularly benefit from its algorithms anyway, so I think it would be a feasible alternative.

Ways to Support

I want to make some changes to how folks can support, or how people engage with the resources and supplies I provide. But in the meantime, you can continue to support my full spectrum drug checking services by contributing on my Open Collective or signing up for a paid Substack subscription. You can also use my links to directly CashApp or Venmo funds. If you’re international and need PayPal, I can provide this on request. Alternatively, I have a shop where you can purchase drug checking supplies and resources and/or pay for mail-based drug checking services.

My social media is still very inactive at the moment and it’s not a place I care to engage in discussions for a number of reasons, so the easiest way to contact me is via Discord (@phoenix.mohawk) or email (phx@therebeleducationist.com).

Recent Happenings…

Who’s Afraid of Detroit?

November 12-15 the Drug Policy Alliance held their semi annual Reform conference in Detroit. This conference was very different for me. SSDP very kindly sponsored me (I am their web manager) so that I could attend. Aside from 2 1 hour shifts at the SSDP table, I was not on any panels, I had no drug checking shifts, and minimal interest in running around to panels or workshops—basically no real obligations. After 10 years of attending conferences (including this one), I’ve realized that most of the panels are not particularly helpful to me—It’s information I been knew, or can’t utilize in my work.

My motivation in the past was mostly to be a friendly and supportive face in the crowd for my colleagues and comrades participating in the panels. This time, I spent quite a bit of time resting my body in the hotel because all-day events like conferences are exhausting. One of the days I went to visit a friend I’ve known from online for some years through mutual aid circles and have been monetarily supporting for at least a year or so, alongside a few other people.

When I was engaged in the conference, I spent most of my energy catching folks I knew in the atrium and halls and having face-to-face conversations—something that rarely can happen if I’m focused on being in panels of interest, which often are stacked back-to-back. I was able to spend more time with folks at booths. I actually got a chance to peep the research that was on display during the poster sessions. It was possibly the most productive time attending a conference in the 10 years that I’ve been attending conferences.

WHPM Nitazene Test Strips Confirmed!

For those of you who have been following my work for at least 2 years, you’d know that I was part of Global Initiative’s research project in Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone to uncover the makeup of the deadly and addictive drug sweeping western Africa called Kush. The preliminary research utilized the FTIR spectrometer and immunoassay test strips, namely nitazene test strips manufactured by BTNX (Rapid Response). However, these strips are notorious for false positives—namely with caffeine. Reports from the UK also indicated that they had issues with cross-reactivity to heroin, but I was unable to fully confirm that because the lab research from testing the products had not been published and I tried reaching out to the principle author on the research to no avail.

They worked just fine for the detection of nitazenes in Kush, but for the western world that doesn’t have this use case or pattern for nitazenes it is a massive pain in the ass. It also forces the results for the presence of nitazenes in a sample that potentially contains caffeine to be “inconclusive” until the secondary lab can do their analysis (which minimally takes 2 weeks to turnaround). For point-of-care services, they need to be able to give as much information as possible in a rapid manner.

I’ve been pressing WHPM (the same manufacturer of DanceSafe and Grassroots Harm Reduction test strips) to work on nitazene and synthetic cannabinoid test strips. The NTS are ready for a December 2025 launch, and in 2026, I hope to have 3rd party lab verification on the “K3” strips.

Speaking of the research project on Kush, check out a recent interview in The Economist covering the story and our work.

This cool thing also happened. There’s more work to do with the lab in Senegal to ensure that FTIR drug checking is as up-to-speed as what we have access to in the west.

Recent Drug Checking Results:

4-MMC

• MDMA

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

4-MMC, also known as Mephedrone, is described by users as being milder than MDMA in the sense that there is less harsh comedown and generally is a less intense and less overwhelming experience, which makes the substance ideal for more regular use in a recreational or social manner. Since the user assumed they had 4-MMC, they were dosing and using in a frequency that caused a number of psychological health issues. I cannot stress enough using reagents and strips at home, folks. 4-MMC is a synthetic cathinone and MDMA is a phenethylamine—a type of amphetamine. Amphetamine strips (as shown) detects MDMA as does the reagents. They give WILDLY different colorimetric results than synthetic cathinones. Please invest in testing tools and use this at home as your first line of defense. Psychosis from missteps like this can be prevented.

MDMA

• 2C-H + 2C-B - 2C-H is the parent compound of the 2C drugs. 2C-B, the most popular of the 2C drugs, is a synthetic analogue of mescaline.

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

YIKES. The dose curve on 2C-B is FAR steeper. I can’t imagine the complications one would have on a 2C-B dose that’s 4-5x the average. 2C-H is an inactive precursor and probably in a negligible quantity.

Tell your friends and colleagues about my work. Share my posts on Substack. Let’s expand access to drug checking together!

The usual support spiel: You can support my full spectrum drug checking services by contributing on my Open Collective or signing up for a paid Substack subscription. You can also use my links to directly CashApp or Venmo funds. If you’re international and need PayPal, I can provide this on request. Alternatively, I have a shop where you can purchase drug checking supplies and resources and/or pay for mail-based drug checking services.

To connect with me, you can do so via Discord (@phoenix.mohawk) or email (phx@therebeleducationist.com).

The Quest To Master Advanced FTIR Testing Techniques Continues…

I was very kindly gifted a centrifuge, which I hope to spend some time experimenting with before the new year. It may allow me to create suspended layers in a solvent that would isolate the substances of interest and remove the carrier liquids or pill binders that interfere with testing. Time to acquire more sketchy chemicals!

Recent Drug Checking Results:

Nothing of interest, surprisingly.

Tell your friends and colleagues about my work. Share my posts on Substack. Let’s expand access to drug checking together!

The usual support spiel: You can support my full spectrum drug checking services by contributing on my Open Collective or signing up for a paid Substack subscription. You can also use my links to directly CashApp or Venmo funds. If you’re international and need PayPal, I can provide this on request. Alternatively, I have a shop where you can purchase drug checking supplies and resources and/or pay for mail-based drug checking services.

My social media is extremely inactive at the moment, and your best bet if you’re trying to connect with me is to do so via Discord (@phoenix.mohawk) or email (phx@therebeleducationist.com).

Also, I appreciate folks that folks send me job leads, but I am not looking. I have already started my own project that is not only necessary for my own success, but for trying to fill in the gaps to help out my community. I am not eligible for these jobs, and even if I was, they either are prejudiced against me and would unlikely hire me, the wages will be shit, and/or working under some other org in this context would be a massive pain in my ass. I accepted this reality by the end of last year, and am much better off doing my own thing.

I’m not even going to get into the fact that there’s so many rules and restrictions that other orgs have to follow—I don’t have time for that. The drug laws are stupid and I intend on further disregarding them for the sake of public health. Good luck to all the people trying to do this shit by the book. 🫡

Without the Likes of Louise Vincent, We Will Be Fucked!

It’s been over a month since she passed. She was super important to the harm reduction movement and specifically even for drug checking. For folks who don’t know about her, feel free to read up on her work separately. As the political climate makes it harder and harder to do this work, we really can’t afford to lose comrades like her. There are a lot of folks doing this work these days that are casuals who will fold as soon as funding cuts makes it inconvenient, or the stakes get too high. Now there’s a government shutdown and there will be much more fallout. I hope that people will think outside the box and/or get out of their comfort zones.

You can donate to NC Survivor’s Union here.

Library Building

With the assistance of Blake, I’ve started to put together a hormone library based off of spectral files from Wiley’s massive database, mostly focusing on hormones that I’m not able to find in Kykeon’s library or the ENFSI library I stumbled across a few(?) months ago. I don’t expect this to be immediately useful, as it’s still really hard to test hormones that are already in solution in a vial—namely Estradiol—which for some reason reads as Testosterone every single time, but it’s nice to know that data can be created in this manner. It’s a bit lower res, but it’s better than having no spectral data at all.

Nothing is Going to Plan. Lol.

Unfortunately, I have not heard any updates about the project that was proposed by Dr. Carl Hart/Columbia University, and the Market Monitoring project with Kykeon is also on hold. I’m not entirely sure what’s been going on, but at this point I’ve had batches of samples that have gone through multiple different agencies and labs take upwards of MONTHS. It’s rendered the DIY hormone testing project nearly useless. CFSRE doesn’t even have Estradiol standards(?!). I can reasonably deduce what’s causing delays with some of the US-based labs and orgs, but I have no clue what’s going on in Spain and Portugal. Last I heard, Kosmicare’s GC-MS was broken with no estimate for when it would be functional again. A batch of hormones from June have been on more trips and much farther away than I have taken this year. It’s quite frustrating. I am trying to develop extraction and/or solvent techniques that would allow me to separate enough of the hormone from the liquid carrier. The FTIR has very few issues identifying them in their raw form.

Recent Drug Checking Results:

MDMA

• N-Butylpentylone - a novel stimulant and substituted cathinone.

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

Novel stimulants have been known to cause adverse events, including deaths. Structurally similar compounds include N-ethyl pentylone, pentylone, methylone, and butylone. There appears to be little to no human use data or experience reports readily available on this substance.

Tell your friends and colleagues about my work. Share my posts on Substack. Let’s expand access to drug checking together!

You can support my full spectrum drug checking services by contributing on my Open Collective or signing up for a paid Substack subscription. You can also use my links to directly CashApp or Venmo funds. If you’re international and need PayPal, I can provide this on request. Alternatively, I have a shop where you can purchase drug checking supplies and resources and/or pay for mail-based drug checking services.

If you’d like to keep in touch with me, you can message me on Discord @phoenix.mohawk, join my discord channel (not super active tbh), or join my Signal Channel for ad hoc updates and privileged information. I’m scaling back on paid digital media services meaning that I will have less automation across all the platforms. Due to this, I will not be supporting platforms like Telegram anymore, my IG DMs are closed on both accounts, and my social media accounts that remain open will just be a landing page redirecting to where my focus will be—like Substack, Twitch and YouTube.

URGENT! Support for Paige Lemen Executive Director of 901 Harm Reduction Needed!

I’m reposting the Filter Magazine article about the unjust arrest of 901 Harm Reduction’s Executive Director, Dr. Paige Lemen, who was jailed for providing lifesaving, evidence-based drug checking services—a public health practice proven to prevent overdoses.

Thanks to your support, they’ve raised the $4,000 retainer needed to begin fighting the case. But to see it through, they need an additional $4,000 to fully cover legal fees. Without it, they risk losing Paige—a leader with 13+ years of harm reduction experience, lived expertise, and someone who has saved countless lives in Memphis and beyond.

Her arrest in Jackson, TN, has sparked a disturbing wave of harassment and surveillance, both outside her home and at our outreach events. They’ve learned that police are targeting unhoused community members, asking if they “know Paige,” using her arrest to criminalize and intimidate the people we serve.

In Memphis—a historically Black city where drug policies continue to punish rather than protect—this is part of a broader pattern of systemic violence against BIPOC, poor, and unhoused communities. My father is from Memphis currently residing in Nashville, and as an attorney has agreed to support in Paige’s case.

We can’t do this without your support!

📣 Please donate to help us defend Paige, continue our radical grassroots work, and organize our users union to fight back.

💰 CashApp: $901HarmReduction

🔗 PayPal

#FreePaige #HarmReductionIsNotACrime #901HarmReduction #EndTheDrugWar #StopTheStigma #PublicHealthNotPolice #UsersUnion #OverdosePrevention #MemphisJustice #LetUsLive

Read more on Filter

Full-Spectrum Drug Checking Services Now Expanded

Maybe it wasn’t clear enough before, but when you buy a set of reagents from my shop (not individual reagents), drug checking is included via a sample mailer kit that you can mail back with your sample, free of additional charges. The Chemical Analysis Program (CAP) is now open for all in the US. I cannot accommodate global shipping nor guarantee samples will make it into the US unseized. I’m still working on making the local drop box accessible, but you can reach out to me if you’re in NYC to coordinate delivering the sample. Any communications about samples will be kept to Proton Mail and/or Signal.

Why Are Reagent Test Kits Eligible and Not Test Strips?

Test strips simply do not provide much information about the contents of the sample. The usefulness of test strips to the average drug user has been overinflated, in my opinion. People get a false sense of security when the test strip suggests that the sample is fentanyl or xylazine free. While this comes as a relief to most, the reality is, the overwhelming majority of substances that are not intended to be sold as heroin/fentanyl/dope, benzodiazapines, or sometimes accidentally adulterated stimulants like methamphetamine and crack/cocaine are unlikely to contain either contaminant (in the US).

You’re much more likely to get sold a misrepresented substances like methamphetamine or a synthetic cathinone as MDMA, another dissociative like 2-FDCK as Ketamine, an additional substance like MDMA (possibly as an attempt at creating Tucci/Tusi/Pink Cocaine), or have a really diluted product that contains over-the-counter supplements like MSM, MSG, or Caffeine (none of which are reliably detected by strips or reagents anyway). By incentivizing using reagents, I aim to encourage people to take testing more seriously by being equipped to perform this type of presumptive testing. It has its limitations, but even drug checking technicians with an FTIR spectrometer still use other tools, such as test strips, other spectrometers, and reagents. It makes to own reagents, especially since you can get dozens of uses out of them, and detect a wide variety of substances, alongside utilizing test strips to help rule out contaminants like Fentanyl.

WHPM Nitazene and Synthetic Cannabinoid Test Strips Validation Underway

Frustrations are growing with the BTNX Nitazene strips as they give false positives to caffeine which is fairly prevalent in the street opioid supply. especially in New York. While slow going, I’m continuing to pursue validation of test strips produced by WHPM which exist but have not been utilized for harm reduction purposes. In addition to validating the Nitazene strips, I’m working to have their Synthetic Cannabinoid strips tested and validated, while the majority of the focus of other immunoassay strip testing being centered around Medetomidine right now. Medetomidine is an emerging threat in the opioid supply in the US, however, Nitazenes and Synthetic Cannabinoids currently permeate multiple classes of drugs throughout the global market. There are even reports of Synthetic Cannabinoids appearing in street opioids as well.

Recent Drug Checking Results:

Methaqualone (Brand name Lemmon/Quaalude)

• Carisoprodol - A potent muscle relaxer that treats muscle pain and stiffness.

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

Once again, folks thought that Qualuudes were back, but this time not even close. They probably just found this plain white tablet in their grandmother’s dresser drawer and assumed it was that elusive substance. Nope, just a muscle relaxer that I can’t spell offhand (I can’t spell any muscle relaxer names offhand, tbh).

Tucci/Tusi/Tuci/Pink Cocaine

• MDMA - Just MDMA

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

The expected combination for such a substance is Ketamine, MDMA, and Caffeine (or without). The only detectable active ingredient was MDMA. I’m not sure how the expected result was determined, but pill binder and random benign substances were detected, which may have thrown off a reagent test. If it was based off user experience, there were no detectable amounts of MDA or Meth found. With an FTIR spectrometer, while it can’t reliably detect very small amounts of a substance usually around 5mg or less, 5mg or less of MDA or Meth would unlikely change the user’s experience of what appears to be diluted MDMA dyed pink.

M30 Oxycodone

• Medetomidine - Medetomidine is a veterinary sedative, similar to xylazine (tranq) and is reportedly 100-200 times more potent than xylazine and can cause longer-lasting sedation, low heart rates, and more severe withdrawal symptoms.

• 4-ANPP - A direct precursor to the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl and acetylfentanyl. It is not psychoactive itself but is a common contaminant found in illicit fentanyl-containing drug samples due to improper purification during the synthesis process.

• Fentanyl - That drug

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

The user suspected fentanyl was present, but medetomidine was an unexpected sight. Obviously this can cause complex overdoses, and a myriad of other potential health concerns that I assume mirror that of Xylazine. I guess I’ll need to try to keep a box of the strips around for the occasional opioids I test.

Tell your friends and colleagues about my work. Share my posts on Substack. Let’s expand access to drug checking together!

If you’d like to keep in touch with me, reference any of the previous roundup posts for contact information.

Teaming up with Dr. Carl Hart

I don’t feel comfortable releasing too much information, but Dr. Carl Hart and I have plans on conducting some research through Columbia University. Once things are official (as long as there’s no objections from the University), I’ll give more details.

Need Full-Spectrum Drug Checking? It’s Simpler and More Accessible Than You Think.

Maybe it wasn’t clear enough before, but when you buy a set of reagents from my shop, drug checking is included via a sample mailer kit that you can mail back with your sample, free of additional charges. You’ll also have an account created so that you can continue to access the Chemical Analysis Program (CAP). After a reagent set purchase, you are eligible regardless of your location in the US.

Why Reagent Test Kits and Not Test Strips?

Test strips simply do not provide much information about the contents of the sample. The usefulness of test strips to the average drug user has been overinflated, in my opinion. People get a false sense of security when the test strip suggests that the sample is fentanyl or xylazine free. While this comes as a relief to most, the reality is, the overwhelming majority of substances that are not intended to be sold as heroin/fentanyl/dope, benzodiazapines, or sometimes accidentally adulterated stimulants like methamphetamine and crack/cocaine are unlikely to contain either contaminant (in the US).

You’re much more likely to get sold a misrepresented substances like methamphetamine or a synthetic cathinone as MDMA, another dissociative like 2-FDCK as Ketamine, an additional substance like MDMA (possibly as an attempt at creating Tucci/Tusi/Pink Cocaine), or have a really diluted product that contains over-the-counter supplements like MSM, MSG, or Caffeine (none of which are reliably detected by strips or reagents anyway). By incentivizing using reagents, I aim to encourage people to take testing more seriously by being equipped to perform this type of presumptive testing. It has its limitations, but even drug checking technicians with an FTIR spectrometer still use other tools, such as test strips, other spectrometers, and reagents. It makes to own reagents, especially since you can get dozens of uses out of them, and detect a wide variety of substances, alongside utilizing test strips to help rule out contaminants like Fentanyl.

WHPM Nitazene and Synthetic Cannabinoid Test Strips: They Already Exist

I’ve been trying to get samples of these in order to have alternatives to the high costs of stocking the BTNX test strips, as well as the fact that Synthetic Cannabinoids are rampant, and in small quantities, can still be habit-forming and/or deadly. While most often sold as cannabis, especially in other areas/countries, SCs have been detected in other substances, too. Importantly, I would like to find an affordable testing tool that can be used for harm reduction purposes in west Africa, as I am still providing assistance in accessing adequate drug checking technology to understand the drug supply crises there.

Updating FTIR Libraries in Senegal for Synthetic Cannabinoids and Nitazenes

I was emailed 5 spectrometer scans of presumed kush to read against my libraries. They only seemed to contain synthetic cannabinoids. They also requested that I send any spectral files I have for Nitazenes and SCs. I was lucky enough to find a free download of the software needed to convert library files that I have to a format they can open with their machine’s software, which appears to be upwards of 5 years out of date and apparently not compatible with the upgrades needed to work with my files as-is.

Unfortunately, this lab is operated by the Senegalese National Police, but similar to collaboration last year with the Judicial Police of Guinea-Bissau and The Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU) of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) that allowed us to collect street drug samples and perform testing, this is the only avenue available that can collect the information needed that can be used to understand the drug supply and advise on public health-centered responses. Thus far, they have been highly cooperative, although it is not in alignment with my values to work with enforcement agencies. Even so, I will say that it is nice to be working with black/African women in STEM. I have noticed that they often hold high ranking positions and degrees in chemistry or biology.

What’s up with the Purity Test Kits Lawsuit now?

Mattha Busby released a fairly balanced article on Filter Mag on August 5, 2025. While this is clearly news from this month instead of July, it’s timely and support is still needed for Emanuel Sferios and Matthew Aragon at HRDS.

Read more on Filter

Recent Drug Checking Results:

Methaqualone (Brand name Lemmon/Quaalude)

• Methaqualone - An anxiolytic (lowers anxiety) and a sedative-hypnotic drug that leads to a state of drowsiness

• Diphenhydramine - Diphenhydramine (brand name Benadryl and others) is a first-generation antihistamine used to relieve various allergy symptoms, cold symptoms, and as a sleep aid.

• Diazepam - A benzodiazapine known by the brand name Valium

• Levamisole and Caffeine also present in some pills but not others

Why Does This Test Result Matter?

Folks though that Qualuudes were back, but users reported a wide variety of strengths and experiences. Touted as legitimate methaqualone manufactured in South Africa, these pills are fairly expensive. From my street drug testing work in South Africa, I didn’t encounter a single pill with these ingredients. They were either Methaqualone, Mebroqualone, or possibly a combination of both. But never did it contain benzos, DPH, or cuts that are most common in North America like Levamisole. The entire thing sounds like a scam, and since each pill seems to be radically different from the next, it could pose an overdose risk—which for non-opioid sedative drugs is particularly dangerous without a known and accessible antagonist/overdose reversal agent.

Tell your friends and colleagues about my work. Share my posts on Substack. Let’s expand access to drug checking together!

A German company, Miraculix (LeadiX GmbH), is trying to patent drug testing kits that utilize methods that have been understood for over a century—and they’re threatening to sue harm reduction activists Emanuel Sferios and Matthew Aragón for using similar techniques in their own kits.

But the science isn’t new. Their methods rely on well-established principles like the Beer-Lambert law and century-old reagents such as Marquis and Hofmann. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has already rejected their application as “obvious” or “not novel.” Yet Miraculix is continuing their threats.

Even worse, Miraculix appears to have failed to disclose in their application key methods they used to make their kits, as required by patent law. These omissions may have been intentional, which would suggest that they never intended to get a patent but rather used the patent process simply to intimidate potential competitors.

Grassroots Harm Reduction

Help Defend Harm Reduction and Scientific Integrity!

The Gist…

Read more

a year ago · Phoenix M.K.

👉 Read Emanuel’s full analysis here.

👉 Please consider supporting their legal defense.

To keep in touch with me, you can join me on my Discord, or join my Signal Channel for ad hoc updates and privileged information, and/or this Telegram Channel if you casually want to keep up with updates without joining my community. You can hit me up on Signal (@pmkg.87) / Telegram (@mohawkkellye) as well.

Psychedelic Science 2025: Aftermath

My flight got in on time, but I only made it to my first panel talk with 10 minutes to get on stage. One of the panelists couldn’t make it as he was stuck in Israel, but I honestly don’t think he could’ve added anything of substance to the conversation. Myself and Reggie from Oakland Hyphae held it down with Cat Packer, and it felt amazing to be on the stage with other Black folks in similar lines of work. Check out Oakland Hyphae on Substack! The second panel went well, too, but the first one about drug checking and safe sourcing was my favorite. We really got to flex our drug checking work.

Rebel Analytics—LIVE! Get Affordable Kits and Access to Laboratory Drug Checking Services

Just plugging my drug checking service and shop, Rebel Analytics, again. I will be promoting this a lot harder in July, while I enjoy some downtime during hysterectomy recovery. Please share any posts on the Instagram or TikTok that already exist. Let your friends know to support because it allows testing services to scale to a more accessible degree. TikTok keeps fucking up my screen name update and then I have to wait 30 days to fix it. Maybe my July, I will be able to sync it to be the same as the IG handle @rebel.analytics.

Support Honest, Affordable, and Accurate Purity Testing Kits

I won’t spend too much time talking about this, but feel free to read through what’s going on between Purity Test Kits and Miraculix, a German-based company that’s resorting to unfair or deceptive trade practices, price gouging, .empty legal threats to other purity test kit companies in the market, etc. All scientific literature on these reagents are public domain and cannot be trademarked. They are raising funds to cover legal fees.

Drug Checking at Dripping Festival

The testing services were majorly busy on Friday night, and steady on Saturday. I tested over 100 substances in a little over 2 days, in 5ish hour shifts. Shout out to my partner in nearly everything I do these days for keeping the queue organized and collecting samples for me when it was impossible to keep up in the conditions that I was working in (power outages, overlapping chaos with the medical team, etc.). Despite the challenges, it’s been a pleasure providing services every year since its start in 2023. We’re going to have a lot more of the kinks ironed out next year, for sure. For those that wanted to see the test results, here is an isolated spreadsheet that has just the necessary information.

Tusi Research GCMS Results

The gist of research has concluded that what is sold as Tusi in NYC is most commonly MDMA and Ketamine, occasionally with Caffeine. The original cocktail is a blend of these 3 things, so this is not surprising to me. What’s most surprising is that out of the 6 collected samples from different sources, they were all generally “as expected”. I have definitely seen less accurate blends, as well as the one outlier that had some bullshit like heroin in it.

Studio Acquired for Lab and Art Project Usage

Stumbled upon the opportunity to spread out in a space that I can dedicate to all my important projects that have taken over my life and my living space. This came rather abruptly and unexpectedly, but I was able to move in early and set up what I had available before surgery. More to come, and soon I’ll be working from there, meaning testing services will be in a bit more convenient location for many participants. Excited to see how this will improve my workflow and productivity!

That’s all, folks! 🫡

To keep in touch with me, you can join me on my Discord, or join my Signal Channel for ad hoc updates and privileged information, and/or this Telegram Channel if you casually want to keep up with updates without joining my community. You can hit me up on Signal (@pmkg.87) / Telegram (@mohawkkellye) as well.

Psychedelic Science 2025 Updates

In the last two roundups, I mentioned that I will be attending Psychedelic Science in June to be on a panel on Friday titled: “Stronger Together: How Communities Can Build Systems of Care for Safety and Resilience”. After finally receiving communication from the conference organizers, they’ve agreed to modify the agreement to accommodate my request. They’ve also offered to reimburse the costs of the flight. I’m hoping that will help reduce the stress I have felt around trying to honor my commitment to the panel I was asked to participate in. Additionally, I’ve been asked to speak on another panel called ”Safe Sourcing in a Risky World: The Realities of the Unregulated Market + Do-It-Yourself Drug Checking Options and Updates”. I’m not entirely sure what value I add to this conversation. I am the only harm reduction and drug checking expert on the panel, but my involvement seems like an afterthought to explain drug checking kits and services which feels very basic. I’m hoping that it’ll be an opportunity to promote my work—that is, if my flight is not delayed and I can arrive there on time. It is around 12:15pm and my flight lands around 10:30am.

Rebel Analytics—LIVE! Get Affordable Kits and Access to Laboratory Drug Checking Services

June 1st I launched my drug checking service and shop, Rebel Analytics. I’ll be slowly getting folks enrolled in the Chemical Analysis Program. Even though not everyone will be eligible at this time, I encourage folks to order from the shop and have accounts created. That way when I expand to accommodate more participants, your applications will be highly considered. CAP will only be available to designated groups/individuals with invites and customers that have purchased drug checking kits from the shop as part of this pilot.

Grassroots Harm Reduction and Purity Test Kits

For folks that aren’t aware, I have been behind the scenes managing Grassroots Harm Reduction and Purity Test Kits’ digital marketing. While technically “competitors” in the context of our products, I couldn’t have launched my shop without the help of Emanuel Sferios. After having been exploited, betrayed, and abandoned by DanceSafe myself (and blocked by Mitchell Gomez I guess during his post termination crash out), Emanuel wanted to extend paid opportunities to me to do things I’m highly qualified to do, which is greatly appreciated.

Research Collaboration w/ Kykeon Analytics

As of June 1st, I will be assisting Kykeon Analytics with a research project in which I will be sourcing various different substances assessing quality and presumably also helping build out the library with new reference scans. This isn’t something the general public will have access to, but just know it’ll be one of many things keeping me busy for the next couple of months at least.

DPA Panel Talk During ACDC: New Drugs and Markets Session 4: Exploring New Horizons

The Drug Policy Alliance hosted an online webinar that coincided with the timing of the Alliance for Collaborative Drug Checking summit. I was one of the panelists, alongside Yarelix Estrada, Hayley Thompson, Clare Schmidt, and Louise Vincent. The sessions were recorded and will be released on YouTube in the future, from what I was told. As soon as I am given access to the footage, I will share it around.

Reconnecting With The David Prize

In 2022, I was a David Prize finalist. While I wasn’t a winner, it resulted in the donation purchase of the FTIR Spectrometer which has allowed me to do all kinds of really exciting and impactful work. The David Prize team is deceptively small—literally 3 people running the show, and a handful of funders and advisors that do who knows what besides throw money at the opportunity and judge the applicants. I spent a couple of hours of my day speaking with some folks in the community about where our work is today, and conjuring up collaborations. While past attempts to work with the Office of Nightlife yielded very little, it appears that some things there have changed, and Anne del Castillo had some helpful suggestions for me. I’m hoping to follow up on these conversations, touch base again with Diana Mora (owner of Friends and Lovers), and the David Prize team (including the social media manager) to find new and efficient ways to support this work.

Monitoring Test Results, and Tusi Research

Usually I end these roundups with bizarre and/or concerning test results, however, I have not had any problematic samples of late—yet. I will be conducting more research over time, which I may or may not be able to share results of in this manner, or in “real time”. However, I have started to post ~1 minute ASMR video of me testing substances to my Instagram and TikTok for Rebel Analytics. This will primarily be my format moving forward as it’s very easy to generate and seems to resonate with followers. If you would like to see misc. test results, I may occasionally release some reports. Folks who are sending samples my way already have access to their results, as well as it’s being integrated into the Test Result Lookup system. There may come a time where all the results will be a bit more public, but in the meantime, don’t worry about it, sweetheart!

For those attending, see you again at Dripping. I will be onsite with Tyroil.

That’s all, folks! 🫡

To keep in touch with me, you can join me on my Discord, or join my Signal Channel for ad hoc updates and privileged information, and/or this Telegram Channel if you casually want to keep up with updates without joining my community. You can hit me up on Signal (@pmkg.87) / Telegram (@mohawkkellye) as well.

Attending Psychedelic Science 2025

As I mentioned in the last roundup, I’ve been asked to speak on a panel again at Psychedelic Science in June called “Stronger Together: How Communities Can Build Systems of Care for Safety and Resilience”. I have been quite unsuccessful in receiving any communication from those responsible for confirming my participation, as I have no intention of signing the speaker agreement as-is, but they’ve listed me as a “confirmed speaker” on the website after I submitted my picture and bio. For an unpaid gig that I’d be coming out of pocket a number of expenses for, the agreement is quite demanding. I was able to crowdfund the expenses and purchased a same-day roundtrip ticket to and from Denver on the day of my talk. I am not sure how the credentials will be handled since I’ve not signed the agreement, and all I get are reminders and no responses to any of my emails (despite it saying to email them with questions). Oh well!

Rebel Analytics Drug Checking and Test Kit Program

As also mentioned in the last roundup, I’m opening a drug checking shop that will offer my very own brand of testing tools, manufactured by the same folks who many of you have already entrusted when buying supplies from DanceSafe—hence, why the packaging looks largely the same. These will be offered at lower prices than DanceSafe offers and will include additional drug checking services with purchases made.

Rebel Analytics Livestreaming Discontinued

The 2 year anniversary of the Rebel Analytics drug checking livestreams was April 19th. As mentioned in the last roundup, I will no longer be streaming drug checking—only occasionally producing short form video content. Many of the livestream videos have been archived, but there are still a dozen or so in the YouTube playlist.

Recent Drug Checking Results:

In March, I sent off the “4-MMC” pill and the brown powder that was sold as “4-AcO-DMT” to get to the bottom of the initial results from the FTIR that had identified it as a benznidazole drug (specifically a Nitazene). The pill did in fact have MDMA in it, as presumed, however, it also included 3-CMC that I did not detect. Unfortunately, the mystery “4-AcO-DMT” chemical was protodesnitazene. According to other drug checking technicians, the BTNX Nitazene strips do not react to “desnitazene” drugs, hence the confusion of whether or not it was in the nitazene class. It’s a good thing that the participant did not “eat it” as a test.

Besides that, there haven’t been any particularly notable bunk substances. There was a chunky powder sold as amphetamine which was methamphetamine and a lot of MSM, and a purple Yoshi pill that was randomly gifted to someone was methamphetamine as well. Another sample of 4-AcO-DMT tested as 4-Pro-DMT Fumarate, and a random found orange pill tested as 4F-MPH HCl.

That’s a wrap. 🫡