Suspected high-dose MDMA pills tested by KnowYourStuffNZ 2018/2019 season

KnowYourStuffNZ has found pills containing potentially dangerous high doses of MDMA during the 2018/2019 festival season. These pills were found at events throughout New Zealand.

They should be approached with caution. Users are advised that the only way to guarantee safety is to not take them. For those who do choose to take them, our recommendation is to only take a third of a pill at most, and wait at least an hour before considering taking any more.

These pills have been tested to contain MDMA and a variety of fillers. No other psychoactives have been detected in these, despite anecdotal reports that they also contain ketamine.

A common dose of MDMA is around 80-120 milligrams, depending upon a user’s body weight. Some of the pills that KnowYourStuffNZ have tested this summer contained up to four doses in one pill.

Taking too much MDMA can result in a very unpleasant experience, health risks, and sometimes even death. If you or someone you know has taken one of these pills and experiences dizziness and vomiting, a sharp rise in body temperature, muscle cramping, heart palpitations, seizures, or unconsciousness, seek medical attention immediately.

Please note that the amount of MDMA present is an estimate only as our technology cannot directly measure dosage or purity. The spectrometer can provide a rough percentage of MDMA content in a sample and we use this combined with the weight of the pill to reach these estimates. The estimated dosage should be treated as an indication only and we recommend always erring on the side of caution.

Suspected high dose pills include:

Purple Defqon Purple/pink, round, logo of Defqon festival one side only Weight: 320mg Estimated to contain 150-200mg MDMA	Colour and size reference chart (1 square= 1cm2)
Pink Porsche Bright pink, shield shape, Porsche logo one side Weight: 350mg Estimated to contain 200-250mg MDMA
Pink Maple Leaf Pink, Canadian maple leaf shape, ‘D2’ on one side, ‘ICON’ on the other Weight: 330mg Estimated to contain 200-300mg MDMA
Yellow Rolex Bright yellow, Rolex crown logo shape, crown stamp one side Weight: 350mg Estimated to contain 200-300mg MDMA	No photo available
Green/grey Skull Green and/or grey, unusual cylindrical shape, skull stamped on one end, crown on the other Weight: 600mg Estimated to contain 400mg MDMA	No photo available
Purple Tomorrowland Purple pill, Tomorrowland logo Weight: 470mg Estimated to contain 200-300mg MDMA	No photo available
Grey Pharaoh Blue/grey/purple, (shape?), Egyptian head on one side, “Warning, 240mg” on other. Weight: 500mg Estimated to contain 200-300mg MDMA	No photo available
Blue or Yellow Visa Blue or yellow  pill, rectangular with rounded edges, Visa logo Reported as high dose but no weight or content estimate available. Approach with caution.	No photo available

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