The sold-out 25,000 person capacity EDM festival produced one casualty this weekend after a heatwave combined with what is believed to have been a bad batch of illegal substances.
At least seventy festival goers were hospitalized with drug-related problems according to Seattle Weekly News. Some people are referring to these as overdoses but most are likely due to dehydration and physical over-exertion rather than consuming a larger-than-appropriate dosage. The festival was held outdoors where there are often steep climbs between stages and not a lot of shade. These elements combined with a heatwave this past weekend, with temperatures in the 90s, produced many problems for festival goers.
After going missing on Saturday, a search began for 20-year old Andreano Farinas who was eventually found safe about eight miles from the venue. Farinas admitted to taking molly and is believed to have had a bad reaction.
Molly, or Mali, refers to the powdered form of the fatigue-inducing drug MDMA (the main element in Ecstasy). It is often mixed with other drugs or chemicals and has long been associated with electronic dance music, in addition to being responsible for other notable overdose incidents at similar raves and festivals.