Methamphetamine, an illicit drug related to amphetamine stimulant drugs, can often have different colors with the different forms it takes. And sometimes, one form, like crystal meth, can be colored in different ways.

Knowing the color and different types that methamphetamine can take may help you know what the drug is if you see it.

No matter what form it takes, meth is a drug, derived from pseudoephedrine and/or other chemicals, that is highly addictive with side effects that can damage your body and central nervous system.

Why The Color Of Meth Can Vary

Most often, the color of meth varies according to the form that it takes.

These color changes are often results of the chemical process of the drug shifting from one state (such as liquid or solid) to another.

However, the drug can change colors as a result of manufacturers or traffickers dyeing the drug. For example, crystal meth can appear in many different colors.

The reasons for making these color changes can vary. Sometimes, manufacturers want to add flavor, while sometimes dealers want to disguise meth from being noticed by law enforcement.

In one type of meth, traffickers color the drug and give it a flavor to appeal to young adults and teenagers.

Forms Of Clear Meth

Clear meth will usually only come in two forms: crystal and liquid meth.

Meth could be in a liquid form for a couple of reasons. For example, someone may dissolve meth in pill or powder form into water or alcohol in order to drink it.

Another reason that meth can be found in liquid form is so it can be smuggled from Mexico into the United States. It is often mixed with gasoline in order to disguise it from drug-sniffing dogs.

White Meth Formulations

White meth can come in a variety of forms:

• powder
• crystal
• pills

Powder meth is often snorted, whereas crystal meth is smoked and pills are swallowed. Some people may eat meth pills as well, but this isn’t a popular form of use.

Smoking crystal methamphetamine creates a very fast high, but swallowing or snorting meth is slower acting and creates a high that is more like euphoria.

Types Of Yellow Meth

Like cocaine, methamphetamine can be turned into a solid from its liquid form. And like crack cocaine (the solid form of cocaine), solid meth is yellow and resembles rocks.

Forms Of Purple Meth

Crystal meth can appear in many colors, depending on how it has been made or altered. Purple meth is often the result of dye.

Other Colors Of Meth

Other colors of meth include pink and blue. Crystal meth can sometimes have a bluish color to it. There is also flavored meth, called pink meth or strawberry quick, that is marketed to young adults and teenagers.

There is also a version of methamphetamine popular in Southeast Asia called yaba. Yaba is a blend of meth and caffeine and comes in the form of red-orange or green pills.

Factors That Influence The Color Of Meth

Many factors can influence the color of methamphetamine, from the way the drug was manufactured to what has been added to the drug since manufacture.

Manufacturing Process

With legal goods, including drugs, there are often strict guidelines for the manufacturing process as well as company guidelines that regulate quality and uniformity of appearance.

The manufacturing process for meth is not like that. Meth manufacturers make the drug in clandestine operations usually without concern for consistency or even safety.

In this kind of setting, there are bound to be inconsistencies of appearance in different batches of the drug.

Additives

When meth gets to the dealers, they can sometimes make further changes to it. They can dye the drug to disguise it or sell it to a certain age group.

Dealers can also add flavoring or other drugs like fentanyl. They can add legal drugs like caffeine in the case of yaba or alcohol if it is liquid meth. All these things can affect the color.

Cutting Agents

Cutting agents can also affect the color. Drug dealers will often cut white powder meth with harmless things like cornstarch or sugar. The ingredients in meth can sometimes change the color from white to dull white.

Addiction Treatment Options For Methamphetamine Use

People who use meth experience many detrimental side effects including weight loss, tooth decay, mental health problems, and even abscesses.

But addiction treatment is available for methamphetamine abuse, even if you have experienced meth addiction for years.

And you can have effective treatment even without the use of medication-assisted treatments (MATs) like those used for opioid use disorder.

Treatment options for meth substance abuse include evidence-based therapy.

In this category of treatment, providers offer behavioral therapies that have been found to be effective in helping people in withdrawal and recovery.

Find Drug Abuse Treatment At Bedrock Recovery Center

At Bedrock Recovery Center located in Massachusetts, we know the difficulty that you face when recovering from meth abuse.