TOGETHER WITH

Welcome back to The Drop In, DoubleBlind’s newsletter serving up news, culture, and independent journalism about psychedelics straight to your inbox.

Today’s lead story is about a batch of two-toned-color pills with Donald Trump’s face pressed on them. And while this publication likely would cover the “news” of pressed pills made in the likeness of the orange man, the fact of the matter is these pressies are sketchy. (Lol, shocking!) They look identical to ecstasy, but actually contain a different, potentially more dangerous compound altogether. The Dutch health officials even issued a “Red Alert” about it. You can find out what compound it is and why it’s so risky immediately below!

If you keep scrolling, you’ll find stories about Amsterdam’s last shroom shop, what the West really means when it says “Psychedelic Renaissance”, and the “Buffy” actress who is now a psychedelic therapist.

Solidarity on Labor Day ✊ ,
Mary Carreón
Editor-in-Chief

Want to take your intimacy to new heights of sensual connection this summer? 

Legato is a multi-award-winning vibrator ring that awakens every inch of her pleasure zones. It’s designed to stimulate the entire vulva, including the clitoris, labia, and everything in between. With 4 motors and an adjustable shape, it ignites every nerve ending, magnifying sensations everywhere she could possibly want them. 

With a spacious opening for a partner or another toy and 16 intensity levels, it gives both partners plenty to explore. It’s even gained a hot reputation among OB/GYN doctors for heightening arousal and increasing natural lubrication, making it perfect for postpartum and menopause. It’s also FDA-registered. 

Right now, save 50% during MV.Health’s Summer Sale. Just click the link below 👇 

Take your intimacy to new heights with Legato.

Get yours here

The Trimbos Institute “Red Alert” says the pills contain a high dose of PMMA, a compound with a much slower onset than MDMA that raises risk of overdose.

It might look like the latest pill on the streets is leading an effort to Make Clubbing Fun Again, alas, these pressies are not what they seem.

The Trimbos-instituut, a Dutch drug addiction and mental health center, issued a “Red Alert” on August 28 over a batch of pills that look like ecstasy pressed into the likeness of U.S. President Donald Trump. The warning states that the tablets contain a high dose of PMMA (para-methoxymethamphetamine), which is said to be similar to MDMA, but has differing characteristics particularly around onset.

The pills surfaced over the past week and a half when several were handed in at testing centers run by DIMS, the Drugs Information and Monitoring System, the national drug-checking network Trimbos operates. The Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) analyzed one as well.

“Absolutely do not use these pills,” the institute warned.

The tablets are in the shape of Trump’s head and bear the image of his face on one side. On the other side, the letters “NL” (presumably standing for “Netherlands”) and “Trump” are stamped on each side of a vertical line. Trimbos said in the warning that the pills has turned up in several, two-toned color combinations: green and orange; and yellow and violet blue.

The reason the pills are potentially “lethal,” according to the institute, is because of the high concentration of PMMA. This compound has a much slower onset than MDMA, and users who feel nothing within the typical timeframe that MDMA kicks in, may assume the dose was weak or “bunk,” and take more, according to Trimbos. PMMA pills “can lead to overheating with possibly deadly consequences,” the warning said.

No deaths have been linked to this patch of pills so far. “We do not know of any victims where PMMA was found in their blood,” Anniek Groothuis, a spokesperson for the Trimbos-instituut, told the Associated Press. She added that the institute has logged no cases of serious illness among suspected users, either. DIMS collects its data through a national network of 12 participants and 24 testing locations, which is how Trimbos tracks what’s circulating.

Ecstasy is a fixture at clubs and music festivals in the Dutch rave and nightlife scene. Yet, producing, selling, and using it remains illegal — even though much of Europe’s MDMA is produced in the Netherlands. A 2024 Dutch government report estimated that some 550,000 people took it in a single year. Trump-shaped tablets are not necessarily new to the scene, either. German police seized thousands of orange pressies of Trump’s face in 2017.

Zeus Tipado, a PhD candidate and researcher in psychopharmacology at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, isn’t surprised by the craftsmanship nor the suspected provenance of these pills.

“The way the two-tone pills are pressed are definitely a flex because it's a technique that's not often seen,” Tipado told DoubleBlind. “And for these pills to emerge from Maastricht, a city in Limburg (an area of The Netherlands) where allegedly most of Europe's MDMA comes from and the location of the infamous Lizard Labs isn't that surprising.”

He agrees with the institute that these PMMA pills are dangerous because of how slow the effects are to kick in. “PMMA is concerning because the slower subjective onset will compel people to re-dose on an already extraordinarily high dose [of the compound], simply because they aren’t feeling it.”

It’s nearly impossible to determine whats in any pressed pill without testing it, these two-toned Trump pressies included. “The thing about PMMA is when they’re pressed to look like ecstasy pills, you are always under the impression that they are ecstasy pills,” Tipado said. “No one goes into it with the understanding they are PMMA. So, it’s hard to discern what is what without testing the substance beforehand.”

Political branding on pills, particularly ecstasy pills, is nothing new to the European market. DoubleBlind reported in 2024 on a wave of Nazi-stamped MDMA and 2C-B pills that circulated through France, Switzerland, Iceland, and the Netherlands, a trend some researchers tied to rising far-right youth movements.

Ecstasy pills have always been used to spread ideas, Dr. Zoë Dubus, a postdoctoral researcher specializing in the history of psychedelics, told Vice in 2024. Pills stamped with messages from the opposite end of the spectrum, including “MeToo” or “Antifa,” have made the rounds too, she noted.

Ever had an orgasm so intense it feels electric? We’re not talking about your average climax. We’re talking about the power of a prostate orgasm, a surge of pleasure that hits harder, lasts longer, and leaves your whole body buzzing. 

Few men have felt it, but Molto makes it possible. Ultra-slim, bendable, and designed to deliver a prostate massage that’s as stimulating as it is surreal. 

With Molto, it’s more than pleasure. Expect stronger erections and more intense ejaculations with a doctor-designed device that also contributes to overall prostate wellbeing. Its powerful vibrations stimulate the prostate to boost arousal, intensify release, and keep performance solid, all from the privacy of home. 

Don’t wait! Prioritize your performance with Molto and save an EXTRA 20% + 50% during MV.Health’s Summer Sale. Use code Molto20 at check out.

Get yours here.