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Guide: How to Mail a Sample to a Harm Reduction Lab
While reagent tests are great for at-home screening, professional laboratory testing (using GC/MS or FTIR spectrometry) is the gold standard. Sending a sample to a lab is the only way to find out the exact chemical breakdown, percentage purity, and precise active cuts in your batch.
We always recommend getting your substances professionally checked for your own safety. If you are ready to test a batch and want to help the community by adding highly trusted data to the Know Your Batch database, here is a list of trusted labs and how to send a sample safely.
1. International Mail-In Labs (Located in Spain)
Due to favorable harm reduction laws, Spain is currently the global hub for drug checking. These labs accept mail from almost anywhere in the world and accept cryptocurrency for anonymity.
• Energy Control International: One of the most established global labs. Costs roughly €30 to €130 depending on the test.
• Nectar Spectra Labs: A highly recommended alternative lab offering extensive testing (FTIR, HPLC-DAD, NMR, GC-MS) for international mail. Costs €15 to €85.
(Note: Kykeon Analytics is currently closed. Please use Nectar or Energy Control instead.)
2. Regional Mail-In Labs (Domestic Only)
If you live in these specific regions, you have access to local mail-in services. Do not send international mail to these labs.
• WEDINOS (UK Only): A free Welsh project. You generate a code on their website, print a form, and mail your sample.
• Psychoactif (France Only): A free and anonymous mail-in testing service run in partnership with ATP-IDF.
• GetYourDrugsTested (Canada Only): A Vancouver-based service offering free basic FTIR testing by mail.
• Substance Drug Checking (Canada Only): A free Victoria-based project offering more extensive lab analysis by mail strictly within Canada.
• UNC Street Drug Lab / PA Groundhogs (USA Only): With Erowid's DrugsData temporarily closed, US options are shifting. The University of North Carolina (UNC) now supports a mail-in GC/MS program through community partners, utilizing special mail-in kits that comply with mailing regulations. Alternatively, many US users simply mail dry samples to the Spanish labs above.
3. In-Person Testing Alternatives
If you prefer not to use the mail, many countries offer free in-person lab testing. Search locally for programs like DIMS (Netherlands), Checkit! (Austria), SaferParty (Switzerland), CanTEST (Australia), or The Loop (UK).
4. How Much to Send
You do not need to send your whole stash. The amount you send dictates what the lab can tell you. Always check your specific lab's website for exact weight requirements:
• For Powders or Crystals: Usually 10 to 20 milligrams is enough (about the size of a match head).
• For Blotters (LSD): Send one entire square. Do not cut it in half, as the liquid is often dropped unevenly on the paper.
• For Pressed Pills (To check WHAT is in it): If you are using a qualitative lab like WEDINOS just to find out what chemicals are present, sending half or a quarter of the pill is fine.
• For Pressed Pills (To check EXACT DOSAGE / mg): If you are using a quantitative lab (like Energy Control) to find out exactly how many milligrams of a drug are in a pill, you should send the entire, intact pill. Illicit pills are often poorly mixed, meaning the active ingredient is not distributed evenly. To get an accurate milligram count, the lab has to weigh the whole pill, crush it to homogenize the powder, and then test it. If you only send half a pill, it can result in an inaccurate estimate of the total dosage.
5. Anonymity and Safe Packaging
Mailing substances carries inherent risks. You must package the sample correctly to protect postal workers and your privacy.
• Generate your code: Labs use anonymous tracking codes. Write this code down.
• The Return Address Rule: Never use your real name or real return address. However, international mail with no return address at all is often flagged as suspicious. Use a believable, fake return address.
• Double bag everything: Put your sample inside a small hard plastic vial or baggie. Place that inside a second ziplock bag. (If your testing program provides a specific mail-in kit, follow their instructions exactly).
• Keep the code separate: Put the paper with your tracking code inside the outer zip bag so it does not touch the drug sample.
• Use a bubble mailer: Standard flat envelopes are processed through tight mechanical rollers, which can tear the paper if a hard object like a pill or plastic bag is inside. Always use a padded bubble mailer to ensure the sample arrives safely.
We always recommend getting your substances professionally checked for your own safety. If you are ready to test a batch and want to help the community by adding highly trusted data to the Know Your Batch database, here is a list of trusted labs and how to send a sample safely.
1. International Mail-In Labs (Located in Spain)
Due to favorable harm reduction laws, Spain is currently the global hub for drug checking. These labs accept mail from almost anywhere in the world and accept cryptocurrency for anonymity.
• Energy Control International: One of the most established global labs. Costs roughly €30 to €130 depending on the test.
• Nectar Spectra Labs: A highly recommended alternative lab offering extensive testing (FTIR, HPLC-DAD, NMR, GC-MS) for international mail. Costs €15 to €85.
(Note: Kykeon Analytics is currently closed. Please use Nectar or Energy Control instead.)
2. Regional Mail-In Labs (Domestic Only)
If you live in these specific regions, you have access to local mail-in services. Do not send international mail to these labs.
• WEDINOS (UK Only): A free Welsh project. You generate a code on their website, print a form, and mail your sample.
• Psychoactif (France Only): A free and anonymous mail-in testing service run in partnership with ATP-IDF.
• GetYourDrugsTested (Canada Only): A Vancouver-based service offering free basic FTIR testing by mail.
• Substance Drug Checking (Canada Only): A free Victoria-based project offering more extensive lab analysis by mail strictly within Canada.
• UNC Street Drug Lab / PA Groundhogs (USA Only): With Erowid's DrugsData temporarily closed, US options are shifting. The University of North Carolina (UNC) now supports a mail-in GC/MS program through community partners, utilizing special mail-in kits that comply with mailing regulations. Alternatively, many US users simply mail dry samples to the Spanish labs above.
3. In-Person Testing Alternatives
If you prefer not to use the mail, many countries offer free in-person lab testing. Search locally for programs like DIMS (Netherlands), Checkit! (Austria), SaferParty (Switzerland), CanTEST (Australia), or The Loop (UK).
4. How Much to Send
You do not need to send your whole stash. The amount you send dictates what the lab can tell you. Always check your specific lab's website for exact weight requirements:
• For Powders or Crystals: Usually 10 to 20 milligrams is enough (about the size of a match head).
• For Blotters (LSD): Send one entire square. Do not cut it in half, as the liquid is often dropped unevenly on the paper.
• For Pressed Pills (To check WHAT is in it): If you are using a qualitative lab like WEDINOS just to find out what chemicals are present, sending half or a quarter of the pill is fine.
• For Pressed Pills (To check EXACT DOSAGE / mg): If you are using a quantitative lab (like Energy Control) to find out exactly how many milligrams of a drug are in a pill, you should send the entire, intact pill. Illicit pills are often poorly mixed, meaning the active ingredient is not distributed evenly. To get an accurate milligram count, the lab has to weigh the whole pill, crush it to homogenize the powder, and then test it. If you only send half a pill, it can result in an inaccurate estimate of the total dosage.
5. Anonymity and Safe Packaging
Mailing substances carries inherent risks. You must package the sample correctly to protect postal workers and your privacy.
• Generate your code: Labs use anonymous tracking codes. Write this code down.
• The Return Address Rule: Never use your real name or real return address. However, international mail with no return address at all is often flagged as suspicious. Use a believable, fake return address.
• Double bag everything: Put your sample inside a small hard plastic vial or baggie. Place that inside a second ziplock bag. (If your testing program provides a specific mail-in kit, follow their instructions exactly).
• Keep the code separate: Put the paper with your tracking code inside the outer zip bag so it does not touch the drug sample.
• Use a bubble mailer: Standard flat envelopes are processed through tight mechanical rollers, which can tear the paper if a hard object like a pill or plastic bag is inside. Always use a padded bubble mailer to ensure the sample arrives safely.
Discussion
6. Uploading or Linking Your Results
Labs return their results in different ways. Some publish them publicly, while others will email you a private document. To get your submission verified on Know Your Batch, you just need to provide the proof.
• Public Links: If you used a lab like WEDINOS or GetYourDrugsTested, they will publish your result on their public database. Just copy the URL and paste it into the "Lab Link" section of our submission form.
• Documents and PDFs: If you used a lab like Energy Control or Nectar, they will likely email you a PDF report or an image of the test readout. You can upload these files directly to our form. (Please ensure the lab's logo and your testing code are visible).
At the end of the day, we are a community looking out for each other. By taking the extra step to get a professional lab test and sharing the data, you are directly helping keep everyone else safe. Uploading these results will also fast-track your submission for "Verified" status as our way of saying thank you for protecting the community.
Labs return their results in different ways. Some publish them publicly, while others will email you a private document. To get your submission verified on Know Your Batch, you just need to provide the proof.
• Public Links: If you used a lab like WEDINOS or GetYourDrugsTested, they will publish your result on their public database. Just copy the URL and paste it into the "Lab Link" section of our submission form.
• Documents and PDFs: If you used a lab like Energy Control or Nectar, they will likely email you a PDF report or an image of the test readout. You can upload these files directly to our form. (Please ensure the lab's logo and your testing code are visible).
At the end of the day, we are a community looking out for each other. By taking the extra step to get a professional lab test and sharing the data, you are directly helping keep everyone else safe. Uploading these results will also fast-track your submission for "Verified" status as our way of saying thank you for protecting the community.