LSD Testing: The Ehrlich-Hofmann Protocol for Confirming Acid and Ruling Out NBOMes

LSD vs NBOMe: A Test That Could Save Your Life

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) has an extraordinary safety ratio. The lethal dose is estimated at 14,000x a standard recreational dose. No deaths have been conclusively attributed to LSD toxicity alone.

NBOMe compounds (25I-NBOMe, 25C-NBOMe, 25B-NBOMe) — commonly sold as LSD on blotters — have killed dozens of people since 2010. Deaths have occurred at doses of 1000-2000µg, roughly 2-3x the standard recreational dose.

One reagent distinguishes them definitively.

Ehrlich Reagent

• LSD → purple (indole ring present)
• NBOMe → no reaction (no indole ring)

Cut a tiny corner of the blotter (1/8" × 1/8"). Place on a white ceramic surface. Apply one drop of Ehrlich. Wait 2-5 minutes. Purple = indole present = consistent with LSD. No reaction = not LSD — likely NBOMe.

Hofmann Reagent (Secondary Confirmation)

• LSD → blue-purple
• NBOMe → no reaction

Hofmann provides a second, independent confirmation. Use both if available.

Important Caveats

• A positive Ehrlich reaction does not guarantee LSD — other indole compounds (melatonin, 5-HTP, ergot alkaloids) can produce the same reaction on blotter paper.
• A negative Ehrlich reaction is actionable: do not consume this blotter. Assume it is an NBOMe.
• LSD is dosed in micrograms (µg). Reagent testing cannot tell you the dose. A blotter could contain 50µg or 250µg — start with a portion of a tab if you do not know the dose.