BASIC REAGENT TESTING: Identifying PMA (4-MA)

[Ekstasis-//7]

YOU WILL NEED MANDELIN, AND ROBADOPE FOR THIS GUIDE HOWEVER I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND ALL REAGENTS FOR MORE ACCURATELY IDENTIFYING PMA. YOU CAN BUY ALL 5 REAGENTS AS EZ-COMPLETE.

I am writing this guide as I know that many people out there especially those new to testing pills will not be aware of the reagent reactions to the deadly chemical PMA (4-MA). This guide maybe very useful as on the information provided with most test kits there is very little or no information of how PMA should react to the reagents.

Firstly I will state that it appears from my research over the years from reading though eve-rave.net, ecstasydata.org & ecstasy.org, lists of pills tested as well as talking to medics and workers from the Sydney club and rave scene and from books that it in the recent past it is very unlikely to come across PMA pills. From reports is was around a bit more in the 90's. However it is always good to be cautious and test pills for the possibility of PMA as one pill could be enough to kill you especially if you were combining with other drugs such as MDxx.

Over the last few years piperazines such as BZP, TFMPP & mCPP have become increasingly common in adulterated pills. Judging purely by the subjective effects one could mistake a piperazine pill for one containing PMA. I would not be surprised if most or all of the reported PMA pill experiences on Bluelight and Pillreports in the last few years that are completely untested are actually piperazines. A reagent test is necessary to identify PMA. Also worth noting is that simply using Mandelin or Marquis & Mandelin one could mistake the reagent results from a fake/piperazine pill as being PMA such as in this thread http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=441136 I would always recommend using Simons and Robadope also when using Mandelin.

Unfortunately as yet I have found no completely reliable resource who can say they have tested pure PMA and recorded accurate results. As the next best thing we have some scientific literature and also websites that have listed how they believe PMA should react.

So far the test kit reactions I have for PMA are:

MANDELIN:
- Bluelight: Phase_Dancer who said: if notes are correct from forensic scientist who tested, picrate salt of PMA, reacts pink
- Journal of Forensic Sciences: Effervessence & went green to red/brown
- Clarkes Analysis of drugs and poisons: Green

MECKE:
- Journal of Forensic Sciences: Lime/green

MARQUIS
- Journal of Forensic Sciences: Effervescence
- Erowid Ecstasy Testing Kit FAQ: No reaction

ROBADOPE
- eztest.com: (not specific) will react just as any other primary amine such as anywhere from red to purple.

SIMONS
- My own 2cents: Should not react as it's not a primary amine



PMA should react to Robadope as mentioned in the information sheet it comes with (Somewhere in the range of red to purple). If PMA does react orange, red or light brown to Robadope one could mistake it for MDA or amphetamine so always use the other reagents as well. If you found a pill with MDMA + PMA I am not sure if one could tell the difference using all 5 reagents from a pill containing MDMA + MDA, it depends a lot on if the reactions to PMA with Mecke & Mandelin are noticeable or if the are completely masked by the MDMA. I will say however that from my experience testing pills although the Robadope reaction is very weak I have seen a difference between MDA, 2C-x and amphetamine reactions. MDA goes an orange/red sometimes having a small colour spread. 2C-x usually goes a dark purple or blackish purple with only the powder changing colour and no colour spreading. Amphetamine is only a mild reaction to a dull yellow going orange with no colour spreading. I am wondering what colour exactly the PMA will react with Robadope. Let's hope it's purple or something different from the MDA or amphetamine reaction.

I know the Mandelin reactions listed above are somewhat conflicting I think personally I would probably trust the Journal of Forensic Sciences above some of the others. Most interesting is the Mecke result which I cannot find elsewhere. Anyway I hope this helps somewhat. Take care and feel free to post any other reactions for PMA from resources you have found. If so please also post where you found the info. Thanks

 

[Ekstasis-//7]

Thought this thread could use a bump so it's not lost in the older pages of BL Pill Testing Q&A.

 

[Horrux]

I tested a pill and the Mandelin turned yellow with pink (looked a pale purple) on the outlying parts of the puddle. The Robadope and Simons confirm the primary amine...

Looks just like PMA...

 

[Ekstasis-//7]

^^ I'm not sure about yellow with pink. As stated above I believe it was Phase_Dancer who said: if notes are correct from forensic scientist who tested, picrate salt of PMA, reacts pink. If Mandelin reacts only pink this is still only a maybe for if it's the correct reaction for picrate salt of PMA.

What colour and how much of a reaction did you get with Robadope?

If you think you have a PMA pill by all means post a thread in the pill testing Q&A with photos (if you can) of the reagent results and the pill. You can post them to imageshack and put the links to the pictures into your thread.

 

[digg-it]

That thread at the top of the page was mine, i dont know why the pills that are now known to be pipes reacted the way they did but its definatly good for me as they all reacted the same way. Unsure if this may be some way of identifying pipes or not but im crossing fingers it is. I tested about 5 or so differant pills at the time all with the same colour reaction as in the thread some more violent then others but at least it was a uniform reaction.
EKSTASIS was it you that posted a link in a similar thread to a wiki reaction chart stating chems side and reagents up the top and all the colour reations through the middle? i loved the link and cant find it for the life of me.
Good luck with finding a result for the NASTY PMA there has been them white mitz with confermed PMA in them in sa or wa or something in recent time maybe someone could get one just for testing purposes.....

 

[someoneyouknow]

That thread at the top of the page was mine, i dont know why the pills that are now known to be pipes reacted the way they did but its definatly good for me as they all reacted the same way. Unsure if this may be some way of identifying pipes or not but im crossing fingers it is. I tested about 5 or so differant pills at the time all with the same colour reaction as in the thread some more violent then others but at least it was a uniform reaction.
EKSTASIS was it you that posted a link in a similar thread to a wiki reaction chart stating chems side and reagents up the top and all the colour reations through the middle? i loved the link and cant find it for the life of me.
Good luck with finding a result for the NASTY PMA there has been them white mitz with confermed PMA in them in sa or wa or something in recent time maybe someone could get one just for testing purposes.....

someone I know found these in Melb just recently and tested them, went straight to pink in the blink of an eye... so maybe that solves that issue?