⚠️WARNING⚠️ 23 Oct 2025

With two separate, tragic deaths in #Manchester last week, both involving young women and both believed to have taken #MDMA powder/crystals GMCA have issued this alert via the GM Drugs Early Warning System.

If unwell please seek medical attention.

⛔️CAUTION!⛔️ 23 Aug 2025

Back-of-house substance testing by @MANDRAKE_LAB has found multiple samples of synthetic #cathinone 4-chloromethcathinone (4-CMC) circulating at Manchester Pride Festival.

If unwell please seek medical attention.

💥BREAKING NEWS💥

Many congratulations to Emily Dawber on conferment of her #Masters today. Well done!

Dr RyanMewis, Dr Jim Pritchett & I are extremely proud of your hard work both in your research and for your dedication to @mandrakelab.bsky.social’s harm reduction activities.

⛔️CAUTION!⛔️ 03 May 2025

Multiple examples of high content #Ecstasy tablets analytically confirmed by @MANDRAKE_LAB, to contain #MDMA (254 - 264 mg/tablet) = to 2½ - 3x the common oral dose circulating in #Manchester.

If unwell please seek medical attention.

💥TESTING DATA💥 Mar 2025

A quick snapshot of recent bsky.app/profile/mand... testing data, of frequently encountered “Ecstasy” pill/tablet types, from across Greater Manchester’s NTE venues.

MDMA (as salt) content was determined by GCMS using primary reference std & expressed in mg/tab.

⚠️WARNING!⚠️ 29 Mar 25

Multiple samples of beige powder, potentially mis-sold as MDMA, confirmed by @MANDRAKE_LAB, to contain synthetic cathinone, 4F-α-PVP, in #Manchester

Not much known about this substance but has been implicated fatalities.

If unwell seek medical attention.

⛔️CAUTION!⛔️ 27 Mar 2025

Multiple, Blue “Moncler” embossed #Ecstasy tablets analytically confirmed by @MANDRAKE_LAB, to contain #MDMA (average: 277 mg/tablet) = to 3x the common oral dose circulating in #Manchester.

If unwell please seek medical attention.

💥DRUG FOCUS REPORT💥

The GMTRENDS focus report on “ketamine” trends, covering 2023/24, is available (for free) online.

This collaborative work, led by by @MMUOutofit, includes detailed chemical analysis by our team of scientists.

Link (free): gmtrends.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/u...

💥NEW RESEARCH PAPER💥

Our collaborative work led by Ryan Mewis w/ Matthew Hulme, Jack Marron, Stuart Langley & Sophie Benjamin on the synthesis & crystal structures of 5 fluorinated diphenidine derivatives is available (free) online

Link: journals.iucr.org/e/issues/202...

💥NEW RESEARCH PAPER💥

Our collaborative work w/ Shimadzu, Phenomenex and Greater #Manchester Police on the #enantiomeric separation of #diphenidine-derived #NPS by polar organic chiral #HPLC
is available online (pre-proof) in J. Pharm. Biomed. Analysis 👇

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

💥BREAKING!💥 15 Jan 2025

Our Director @sutcliffeob.bsky.social speaks on BBC Radio 4 “Cannabis Kids: The parents breaking the law to help their children with epilepsy” about how we have been working w/ stakeholders & industry to understand the UK cannabis market.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

⚠️WARNING!⚠️ 19 Dec 2024

Following testing by our scientists, a #harmreduction #warning, has been issued by #Greater #Manchester Drugs Early Warning System

Important #medical & #welfare guidance for #nitazene #intoxication

Stay safe and if unwell please seek medical attention

💥BREAKING!💥 7 Dec 2024

@robralphs.bsky.social and @sutcliffeob.bsky.social #Spice (#SCRAs, synthetic cannabinoids) “Primer”, first published in The Conversation in 2016, is the THIRD most read article published by Man Met Uni and just received >900,000 reads! theconversation.com/what-is-spic...

💥REQUEST💥 28 Nov 24

Please complete the 2024/25 Students, Alcohol and Drug Survey and retweet it to your social networks

This survey is via @sosukcharity & available here:

online1.snapsurveys.com/interview/b1...

This is YOUR opportunity to shape harm reduction and awareness on UK campus’

💥BREAKING!💥 22 Nov 2024

We’re extremely proud to announce that we have received additional PUBLIC FUNDING for our harm reduction work!

The team are honoured to EXPAND our nationally-recognised harm reduction partnerships, across the UK, and now safeguard the residents in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Do YOU know the DANGERS of synthetic cannabinoids or "Spice"???

Would you like to know more?

Read our short (1 min read) PRIMER "What is Spice" (theconversation.com/what-is-spic...) and get the lowdown and keep yourself and others safe!

Through our research, we strive to tackle inequalities & enhance people's lives.

Read Ralphs & Sutcliffe @sutcliffeob.bsky.social #Spice “Primer” in The Conversation here: theconversation.com/what-is-spic...

Also read our focus report on #THC vapes here: gmtrends.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/u...