Comparison of strength and adulteration between illicit drugs obtained from cryptomarkets versus off-line.
Addiction (Abingdon, England) January 1, 2025 Leigh Coney, Amy Peacock, Daan van der Gouwe et al. 8 citations
Drugs sold on cryptomarkets are not uniformly higher in quality than those bought offline. For MDMA tablets, MDMA powder, cocaine, and LSD, the advertised substance is more likely to be present when sourced from cryptomarkets. Strength is higher for cryptomarket MDMA powder, cocaine, and methamphetamine, but lower for MDMA tablets and amphetamine. Adulteration is less likely in cryptomarket MDMA powder and cocaine, but more likely in amphetamine and LSD. Cocaine from cryptomarkets also has fewer adulterants. The relationship between source and drug quality depends on the specific substance and market dynamics.