[gnosis]

Actually, the point about bitterness is wrong.

Both the blotter paper and the inks on it could have a taste. Also, the sensation of taste (or lack thereof) could be influenced psychosomatically, by conscious or subconscious expectations.

[jimwhitson]

Indeed, but where the downside is getting an unwanted dose of something like DOB it's advisable to err on the side of caution.

[gnosis]

My point is that the taste or lack thereof proves absolutely nothing. So you can't err on the side of caution using the taste test.

Anyway, by the time you taste it, it's too late.

[jimwhitson]

AIUI, the point is that a sane dose of LSD doesn't taste bitter, so if one rejects any bitter blotter then one would be erring on the side of caution - possibly rejecting perfectly good LSD due to a bitter ink or paper, but avoiding the great majority non-LSD psychedelics.

It's certainly preferable to identify a substance before tasting it, but it's not too late - spitting the paper out and rinsing the mouth out is likely at least to reduce the absorbed dose.

A perhaps more pressing problem is the risk of anxiety due to an innocently-bitter piece of blotter - I imagine a borderline-bad trip could be made much worse by a persistent fear that it would last >24h.

Of course, real caution would mean not eating anything cooked up by criminals in an illicit lab...