Drug testing service

In the Netherlands, you can have your drugs tested, even if they are illegal. However, there are specific rules that you must follow. Please read these rules carefully before you come. If you do not follow the rules, we cannot test your drugs.

Conditions for Drug Testing

• For personal use only: We only test drugs for personal consumption.
  Limited quantities: Do not bring more than a user quantity. Per person, you can bring a maximum of 3 drug samples. If you have more, we cannot test for you. One drug sample is: 1 pill, 1 gram of powder, or 10 ml of liquid.
• Whole pills only: If you want to have a pill tested, please bring a whole pill. We cannot test half-pills, quarters, damaged, or broken pills.
• Sufficient powder: If you want to test a powder, please bring at least 250 milligrams (a quarter gram) of powder. We need approximately 100 milligrams to test, but bringing more ensures that you have enough.
• Limited samples: Per person, you can have a maximum of 3 (1 during busy periods) drug samples tested. However, only one of these can be sent to the laboratory. In addition to the lab, we can sometimes test/identify drugs on the spot.
• Locally purchased drugs: We only test drugs purchased in the Netherlands (or via the internet).
• Limited capacity: During busy periods, we may not be able to test all samples. This means that even if you submit your drugs, you may not always receive results. Please be aware of this.
• Confidentiality: It is not permitted to publish the results of a test, not even online.

Disclaimer: The use of drugs is never without risk, even if you are satisfied with the test results. Neither the testers, Jellinek, nor the laboratory can be held liable for any negative consequences of using any drugs. No rights can be derived from the test results.

Service, not a right

Drug testing is a service, not a right. We can refuse service to any visitor.

We do not test for parents, family, or other non-consumers

Unfortunately, parents, family, and other non-consumers cannot use our drug testing service. If you are concerned about the drug use of your child or loved one feel free to call the Jellinek Advice Line on 088 505 1220 (weekdays from 13:00 to 17:00) .

As a consumer, you can anonymously have your drugs tested at drug testing services in the Netherlands. By testing, you'll know exactly what's in your drugs, and also the quantity. We test almost all drugs: pills, powders, liquids, capsules, paper trips, and crystals. You can find a list of what we don't test on this page.

When you visit our drug testing service, please know that our trained staff are there to answer any questions you may have.

If it's your first time testing, make sure you've read our terms and conditions (see above).

Testing Tablets/Pills

For pills, we conduct a color test (using the Marquis reagent) and note a number of characteristics of the pill. The color test gives an indication of the drug in your pill.

Then we check if your pill is in our database. If your pill is in our database, you'll get a result immediately, and you'll get your pill back. The chance of a direct result for a pill is about 30 to 50%.

If your pill is not in our database, we'll send your pill to the lab for analysis. You will NOT get your pill back, and you can call for the results a week later.
It's important that you bring a whole pill with the logo clearly visible. We cannot test a broken or damaged pill.

Testing Powders

For powders or crystals, we conduct a color test using the Marquis reagent. The color test gives an indication of the drug in your powder. Then we send the powder to the lab for analysis. You can then call for your results a week later. The lab needs a minimum of 100 milligrams (0.1 g) of powder. If your powder goes to the lab, you will NOT get it back.

Exception: In Amsterdam and Amersfoort, we have a device that can test speed, ketamine, and MDMA (powder or crystal) on the spot. This so-called infrared spectrometer (FTIR) can immediately test what's in your powder and how much. You usually get a result right away. This only applies to speed, ketamine, and MDMA powders. All other powders are sent to the lab for analysis, and then you'll have the results a week later.

Testing Liquids

Liquids are always sent directly to the lab for analysis. You can then call for your results a week later. For liquids, the lab needs a minimum of 2 milliliters (ml). If your liquid goes to the lab, you will NOT get it back.

Exception: In Amsterdam and Amersfoort, GHB can be tested directly in many cases.

Testing LSD

Testing LSD in the laboratory is very expensive. That's why we have another testing method for LSD. This means that when testing LSD, you have two options:

Option 1. You submit a blotter, which you will not get back. A week later you will receive the test result: "LSD" or "no LSD". This test method does not indicate how much LSD is in it.

Option 2. We send your blotter to the lab. A week later you will hear what's in your blotter. If there is LSD in it, you will also hear how much. Please note: this is an expensive analysis, and therefore there is a maximum number of samples that can be tested in this way each month. We can tell you during the testing session whether there is still room, or if you'd better come back at a later time. You can then still choose to go for option 1.
We understand that this is not optimal, but this is the best we can offer for now.
1P-LSD cannot be tested.

Testing new psychoactive substances (NPS or research chemicals)

If you want to have a new drug (designer drug/research chemical) tested, we ask you to provide as much information as possible. Information such as: what is the chemical name or street name of the substance, what is the effect, etc.

Most illegal drugs can be tested at the testing service. You can also have research chemicals tested with us.

What we don't test:

• Raw materials or precursors used to make drugs.
• Drugs purchased abroad. The testing services monitor the Dutch drug markets for acutely dangerous drugs. Foreign drugs contaminate this monitoring.
• Legal drugs (such as alcohol and smart shop products).
• Cannabis (hash, weed, oil, etc.), magic mushrooms and truffles, cacti
• Anabolic steroids (for more information about anabolic steroids, see: www.ergogenics.org, www.eigen-kracht.nl or www.dopingautoriteit.nl). For more information about the anabolic steroid clinic, see: www.kg.nl (special consultations). To register for the Anabolic Steroid Clinic, contact anabolenpoli@kg.nl. For information about testing anabolic steroids, see: Energy control.
• Medications (for more information about medications, see: www.apotheek.nl).
• 1P-LSD. Hopefully this is temporary. A 1P-LSD analysis is expensive. This currently puts too much strain on the budget to justify analysis. Therefore, we cannot currently test it.

And:

• We only test for consumers.
• Parents, family, and other non-consumers cannot unfortunately come to us for a drug test. If you are worried about the use of your child or loved one, please look at our parent page or next-of-kin page. Parents can also check out "I think my child is using ecstasy, what now?". If you have any further questions or would like to discuss this with us, call the Jellinek Advice Line on 088 - 505 1220 (weekdays from 8:30 to 17:00) or ask your question here.
• We do not test for dealers or producers. If you have more than 3 pills or a gram of powder with you or if your drugs contain raw materials, we assume that you are dealing and we cannot help you.

If you've experienced persistent adverse effects after drug use, please contact the Medical Consultation for Party Drugs. Consultations are free and do not require a referral.

If you buy drugs in the Netherlands, be aware that the potency and purity of the drugs you buy here can be very different from the drugs you buy in your own country. In other words; it’s impossible to know how strong (pure) the drugs are. If you are trying drugs for the first time or don’t have much experience, be extra careful. We advise you to take a lower dose than you would take in your home country.

If you are staying in Amsterdam for more than a week, you can get your drugs tested anonymously at the Jellinek or GGD Amsterdam drug testing service. Drugs that you submit are checked on the spot or analysed in a laboratory. Pills can be compared to the pills in our database. About 30 to 50% of the pills can be recognised that way. This means you’ll get the result immediately.

Are you planning to visit our drug checking service? Please look here for our opening hours, adresses and how drug checking works.

History of drug testing in the Netherlands

At the end of the 80’s Stichting Adviesbureau Drugs (SAD) and Jellinek stepped forward as the pioneering organizations of drug checking. They were illegally testing drug samples of consumers. In that time (1987) SAD also started doing reagent testing (also see ‘how does testing work’) combined with health promotion and drug education at parties/events. They did this under the ‘Safe House Campaign’ banner. Reagent testing gave limited information about the drugs content. But it was better than no information at all. Back then, the drug market was not as complicated and diverse compared to now. So given information was generally very useful for the consumer.

The Drug Information Monitoring System (DIMS) was founded in 1992. In February 1999 the minister of health, Els Borst (ministry of public health, welfare and sport) decided to centralize the drug checking and put the coordination of the DIMS program under the Trimbos Institute’s responsibility (Netherlands Institute of mental health and addiction).

The DIMS program further professionalized the drug-checking service in cooperation with another few alcohol and other drugs services (AoD services). Dancefloor testing moved to test locations in offices.

Monitor

Since 1999, the primary goal of DIMS is not to offer a service to the consumer, but to monitor the Dutch illegal drug market. Based on its observations, action can be taken when an acute public health risk occurs. The possibility for the consumer to know what is in their drug is obviously a useful outcome as well.

Busy

Over the years the test service of DIMS has become better known by the general population. An increasing number of people that use drugs access the service. Especially around the public holidays and the festival season. The last couple of years it happened frequently that more drug samples were collected than the laboratory was able to analyze. There is simply not enough funds to send every collected drug sample to the lab. The DIMS program has started researching other methods to analyse drugs since 2016 to accommodate these increased needs (see FTIR section).

Why does the government allow drug checking?

The government recognizes that drug testing offers several (public health) advantages:

Warnings / Red-alerts

In the interest of public health, the government allows drug checking. The DIMS program has the task to monitor the illegal drug market and to inform consumers when potential dangerous situations occur. Warning the public has happened several times in the past. Chances are big that this has saved lives, but this is, of course, difficult to prove. For example: At the end of 2014 a pink superman pill (colour of pil + logo/shape) was found that contained a very high dose of the hazardous substance PMMA. After putting out a warning the drug has not been seen at the drug checking services anymore and has not caused any incidents in the Netherlands, as far as we know. It has however caused several deaths in other European countries.

List of risky pills

Since 2015 the DIMS program publishes a list of extra risky pills on their Red Alert App. This does not mean that other pills don’t have risks, but these are pills you definitely should avoid. Because the DIMS program does not test all drugs that circulate on the market, this list is not complete. So it is important to be aware that other pills that are not on this list may still contain risky contaminants or adulterants.

Education and prevention

The collected drug-samples provide a representation of the types of drugs that are used in the Netherlands and useful information about trends and other developments of the illegal drug market. A clear example of this is the vast increase of the average amount of MDMA in ecstasy tablets in the last few years. Because of this it was clear that more education and attention was needed for ecstasy. Especially the risks linked to the use of high doses of MDMA. On most drug testing sites, you’ll be welcomed by a friendly peer educator from the Unity harm reduction project.

Drug checking in other countries

All drug checking services in the world have united in TEDI. Check our website TEDI – Trans-European Drug Information project (tedinetwork.org)

Versie: januari 2023

Please find more information on common adulterants on unity.nl.