Morris Reagent: Testing Ketamine and Analogues

The Reagent for Ketamine

Ketamine is often sold as something it is not. Analogues like 2-FDCK and DCK get passed off as ketamine, and they have different strengths and different risks. A plain Marquis test does not tell these apart well. Morris reagent does a better job.

Morris is the standard reagent for ketamine, because the color shifts depending on what is actually in the sample.

A Test in Two Parts

Morris reagent is a test with two parts. You add one drop of part A, then one drop of part B, to a small sample on a white surface.

The result comes down to color and timing.

• Purple is the classic ketamine result
• Blue or a blue green shade points to a ketamine analogue, like 2-FDCK
• Green can mean other dissociatives

The exact shades matter, and so does the timing. Read the color in the window the chart gives you, usually within the first minute or two.

What It Tells You

Morris is better than most reagents at separating ketamine from its common analogues. That is valuable, because the analogues are not the same drug.

2-FDCK and DCK last longer and hit differently than ketamine. A dose that is safe for one is not automatically safe for the other. Knowing you have an analogue, not ketamine, changes how you dose.

What It Misses

Morris is not a lab test. A purple result strongly suggests ketamine, but it is not a certificate.

It does not tell you purity. It will not show fentanyl. It cannot split every analogue perfectly.

So the same rules apply as with any reagent. Use more than one reagent when you can. Run a fentanyl strip, because ketamine can be contaminated like any powder. Test every new batch.

Getting the Color Right

1. Use a small sample on a white ceramic surface. A grain of salt is enough
2. Add part A, then part B, in that order
3. Watch the color form in the first minute
4. Compare to the chart under white light

Do not use a huge scoop of powder. Too much sample floods the reaction and hides the color.

The Bottom Line

Morris reagent is the best single test for ketamine and its analogues, and the color difference between purple and blue is genuinely useful. But it is one piece of the picture, not the whole thing. Pair it with a fentanyl strip and healthy caution.

For the full ketamine testing setup, see our ketamine test kit guide.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. Testing reduces risk; it never eliminates it.