Los Santos Drug Wars DLC / The First Dose / Acid Lab Guide

Your guide to completing the six missions that open the doors to GTA Online’s newest lucrative business.


Drug Wars Featured Article

The first part of the new GTA Online expansion, Los Santos Drug Wars DLC, is live and introduces a variety of new content, including new vehicles, missions, and even a brand-new business that can help you earn millions in no time. However, unlike the previous businesses, where you would just buy them and start working, the new business requires a bit of work.

The new business is called Acid Lab, and like the previous businesses, it requires players to source the supply materials to manufacture products over time. They can then sell this product for profit. But, you must complete a series of missions to be able to start the Acid Lab business.

In this guide, we show you how you can complete the six missions, which are called “The First Dose“, then set up your Acid Lab business, and how much you can expect to earn through this new business.

First Dose

As above, First Dose is the name of the series which you must complete in order to start the Acid Lab business. There are six First Dose missions that you can start right after getting a call from Ron upon your first login after the update.

Acid Lab Guide

Once you’ve received Ron’s call, you can go to the ‘R’ marker (representing Ron Jakowski) on your map. You can find it at Paleto Bay in Blaine County.

Acid Lab Guide

This is where you will start your first mission of the First Dose series called Welcome to the Troupe.

Welcome to the Troupe

Once started, you will get an intro cutscene. After the cutscene, you will immediately be put into combat.

Acid Lab Guide

You must take out the incoming waves of Lost MC biker gang members. Keep taking them out while in cover from all sides of the roof.

Acid Lab Guide

Use the explosives to your advantage to take out hordes of them. The mission isn’t difficult, and you should be able to complete it in no time.

Acid Lab Guide

After taking out the enemies, talk to Dax, the main character of this DLC, who will join you following the First Dose missions.

Acid Lab Guide

Dax will ask you to recover his van, Journey, from the Lost MC biker gang. Leave the bar roof, and get into the boat at the dock nearby. You can see the icon of the boat on the map.

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab Guide

Go across the lake and infiltrate the Lost MC biker hideout. Eliminate the enemies and recover Dax’s van.

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab Guide

Drive it back to the bar, and pick Dax up.

Acid Lab Guide

After that, go to the abandoned warehouse in Los Santos. This abandoned warehouse will become the headquarters for all your Acid Lab business activities. It will now be known as The Freaskhop.

Acid Lab Guide

This concludes the first mission in the First Dose series.

Designated Driver

Now, the missions following the First Dose 1 mission will be at the ‘D’ on your map. ‘D’ represents Dax. And it will always be at The Freakshop.

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab Guide

In the second mission, you must first make your way to the Jetsam Terminal and steal a truck cab. There are plenty of truck cabs around the terminal. Approach any one of them, and they will be highlighted on your mini-map.

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab Guide

Enter the truck cab and go to the front of the Jetsam Terminal to collect the party supplies. Reverse into the trailer and attach it to the cab.

Acid Lab Guide

Now you’re supposed to deliver these supplies to The Freakshop. However, as you exit the Jetsam Terminal, you will be ambushed by a number of Lost MC biker gang members.

Acid Lab Guide

The supplies will catch on fire, and you must detach the truck cab from the trailer with the party supplies before it explodes. You can see how much health you have at the bottom-right corner of the screen. You must detach before the bar drops all the way down to zero.

Acid Lab Guide

You can detach the trailer by holding the ‘H’ key if you’re on PC or the right d-pad on your controllers if you’re on a console (PlayStation or Xbox).

Acid Lab Guide

Once detached, you’ll be instructed to get revenge on the Lost MC members by infiltrating their clubhouse, which is surprisingly close to The Freakshop.

Acid Lab Guide

Make your way to the Lost MC clubhouse, and eliminate all the enemies before you can enter the house.

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab Guide

When you’re inside, eliminate the remaining members, and look for their plans.

Acid Lab Guide

They are documents attached on a pinboard on one of the walls. We found ours inside one of the rooms by the bar.

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab Guide

After taking the picture, look for a duffle bag in the house. Ours was on the bar counter.

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab Guide

Pick it up and go to the drugs that are on the table inside the house. Pick them all up.

Acid Lab Guide

Leave the clubhouse and fight the incoming Lost MC members. Deliver the looted drug to The Freakshop to complete the mission.

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab Guide

These missions do not have any timer, so you can stay in cover and take your time when eliminating these enemies.

Fatal Incursion

The third mission is all about destroying the Lost MC property. First, make your way to the Stab City and destroy their property, including bikes, vans, drugs & chemicals, and oil tanks.

Acid Lab Guide

There is a property destruction meter at the bottom-right corner of your screen. The more property you destroy, the more it fills up. Your objective is to completely fill this bar by destroying the Lost MC property.

Acid Lab Guide

Most of the property will have a flammable container by them. Shoot them to cause an explosion and destroy the property.

Acid Lab Guide

You can also use your personal explosive equipment such as the RPG, sticky bomb, grenade, etc.

After destroying the property, you must go to Millar’s Fishery to loot the drugs. Once you get to the location, eliminate the enemies, and collect the drugs.

Acid Lab Guide

The drugs are not hidden, and they will flash right in front of you. There are ten total drug items you must collect. Also, when you’re near the drugs, they will be highlighted as green dots on your mini-map. Here are the locations of all the drugs we found at Millar’s Fishery.

Drug 1

On the table outside the small blue house right as you enter Millar’s Fishery area.

Acid Lab Guide

Drug 2 & 3

Both drugs are on the shelf inside a large warehouse directly in front of the small blue house. As you enter Millar’s Fishery, it is a large building to your right.

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab Guide

Drug 4 & 5

These two are inside a small lab that is directly ahead of you as you enter Millar’s Fishery. Walk past the large warehouse and small blue house, and you will see another huge building in front of you. It says “Millars Boat Shop” on the building.

Acid Lab Guide

This building is a secret lab. However, you cannot enter it head-on. You must go around the back to enter via a backdoor. You will see a blue marker allowing you to enter the building.

Acid Lab Guide

Once inside, go downstairs but be careful as there are some Lost MC members inside. One of them wields a shotgun so prepare to shoot.

Acid Lab Guide

There are not a lot of enemies inside. You will face only one or two of them downstairs. Eliminate them and collect the flashing-wrapped bags. After that, you can exit the same way you entered the building.

Acid Lab Guide

Drug 6 & 7

When you exit via the backdoor, go left, and you will see two more drug items directly ahead of you by a parked van.

Acid Lab Guide

Before approaching the drugs, be wary of your left side, as more Lost MC members might be coming from that side.

One of them will be on a rolling table, and the other will be on a shelf. Collect them both and continue moving forward (not towards the Docks).

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab Guide

Drug 8

Keep moving forward until you reach a small turn that takes you out of Millar’s Fishery.

However, instead of continuing the path, turn right, and you will find a red lifeboat. The drug is inside this boat.

Acid Lab Guide

Drug 9 & 10

Now backtrack all the way to where you came from up until the point where you collected drugs 6 & 7. From here, make your way towards the Docks.

Acid Lab Guide

Go down a descending platform, and you will find two more drug items on a wooden crate to your right. Collect them, and you’re done.

Acid Lab Guide

Once collected, you don’t have to return to Millar’s Fishery. Instead, you will find a Dodo plane at the Docks.

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Acid Lab Guide

Get into the plane and fly it to The Freakshop to complete the mission.

Acid Lab Guide

Uncontrolled Substance

This one is more of an experience than an actual mission. All you have to do is sit through a casual trip that your character will go through.

Acid Lab Guide

You still need to control your character, but it is a linear path, and you must follow whatever Dax asks of you during the mission.

Feel free to check out our video to see it for yourself if you haven’t reached this far into the series.

Make War not Love

It would be best to stock up on ammo and armor before starting this mission, as it involves heavy combat.

This mission is slightly similar to First Dose 3, but this time, you need to destroy the lab equipment inside the tents at the Hippy Camp.

Acid Lab Guide

The tents are marked on your mini-map. Go from the right side, clearing all the tents. There is a bar at the bottom-right corner of the screen that will fill up as you destroy the equipment inside the tents. Fill it completely to complete this part of the mission.

Acid Lab Guide

You will find at least two explosives inside the tents. Blow them up to destroy the lab equipment. Once destroyed, the white tent icon on your mini-map will disappear. This confirms that you’ve successfully destroyed the equipment inside the tent.

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab Guide

If you don’t see any flammable containers inside the tents, use your own explosives like grenades or sticky bombs.

Acid Lab Guide

Once destroyed, you need to enter any of the hippy vans at the site. There are multiple vans.

Acid Lab Guide

When you enter, the location of the three delivery vans will be marked on your mini-map.

Acid Lab Guide

Drive to these delivery vans and destroy them. Note that you can also change your vehicle if you’d like. We only need to get into the hippy van to mark the delivery vans. Once marked, you can change your vehicle.

Acid Lab Guide

After destroying the delivery vans, you will be tasked to go to the infamous Altruist Camp to destroy three more delivery vans.

Get to the camp, and be careful, as it is also heavily guarded by the hippies. Eliminate the hippies, and destroy their vans.

Acid Lab Guide

There are three vans in total. One is to your right as soon as you enter through the main camp gate.

Acid Lab Guide

One is on an elevated platform further ahead by the water tank tower.

Acid Lab Guide

And the last one is deep into the camp, directly in front of the wide chimney sticking out of the building at the end.

Acid Lab Guide

Once you’ve destroyed the last delivery van, an attack chopper will spawn. Take it out.

Acid Lab Guide

Once the chopper is down, leave the camp to complete the mission. It is better to avoid leaving through the main gate. Simply use the mountainside to leave the area.

Acid Lab Guide

Off the Rails

Off the Rails is the final mission in the series before you can finally start your own Acid Lab business. This mission is quite combat-heavy, so it is best to stock up on armor and snacks before starting this mission.

First, make your way to Humane Labs. Once you get there, you have two options. Either go in loud or sneak your way in. Both are viable options. However, the stealthy approach, in this case, is faster.

Acid Lab Guide

When you get to the entrance of Humane Labs, ensure you’ve equipped a suppressed weapon. Also, avoid the enemy’s cones of vision on the mini-map to stay undetected.

Acid Lab Guide

You will find a single security guard at the entrance. Take him out with a headshot.

Acid Lab Guide

Go a bit forward, and you will find a security camera at the corner of the building. Shoot it to destroy it. If you cannot pinpoint the camera’s location, refer to your mini-map, as it shows the cone of vision.

Acid Lab Guide

Stay on the left side of the parking lot and continue moving forward until you reach the middle.

Acid Lab Guide

Look to your right, and you will see some stairs and a guard at the base of the stairs. Take him out with a headshot and go up the stairs.

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab Guide

When you’re at the top, look to your left, and you will see a couple more guards. One will be patrolling the area while the other will be stationary. Wait for the patrolling guard to go a bit further ahead, and take out the stationary guard with a headshot.

Acid Lab Guide

Move up and take out the guard in the distance standing by the keypad.

Acid Lab Guide

Wait for the patrolling guard to start walking toward you. When you have a clear shot, eliminate him with a headshot. Eliminating this patrolling guard may alert the staff member standing on the left. Quickly, take him out with a headshot before he alerts the rest of the guards in the area.

Acid Lab Guide

Finally, a guard on the platform will be directly in front of you, walking back and forth. Wait for a clear shot, and eliminate him as well.

Acid Lab Guide

Continue moving forward, and before you approach the keypad, take out the security camera directly above it.

Acid Lab Guide

After taking out the keypad, you can interact with the keypad to hack it and enter the facility.

Acid Lab Guide

Upon entering the facility, try to walk slowly. Move up deeper into the facility, and first, take out the security camera to your left.

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab Guide

Then before moving forward to the loading bay, quickly take out both the guards in front of you with a headshot.

Acid Lab Guide

As you pass through the wide doorway, look to your left, and you will see another guard.

Acid Lab Guide

Walk to the right side, and look in the distance to find two more guards. Take them both out, and the loading bay will be clear.

Acid Lab Guide

You now need to find the inventory manifest and take a picture of it. The manifest can spawn on the wall in two possible spawn locations.

Manifest Location 1

On the wall to your right after going through the wide doorway.

Acid Lab Guide

Manifest Location 2

On the wall to your left next to the wooden crate and a stack of cardboard.

Acid Lab Guide

Once you’ve taken the picture, send it to Dax.

Acid Lab Guide

After that, you must search all the wooden crates and collect chemicals. You need to collect five chemicals. Some of the wooden crates might not contain the chemicals, so go through them all until you have all five chemicals.

Acid Lab Guide

Once collected, it’s time to leave the area. Shoot the power box to open the shutters.

Acid Lab Guide

There will be a vehicle outside that you can take to the next location.

Acid Lab Guide

You must make your way to the train switching station before the train carrying the chemical reaches the station.

Exit Humane Labs, and keep driving until you see an opening to your left.

Acid Lab Guide

Go through the opening and onto the train tracks. Keep following the train tracks to reach the switching station.

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab Guide

Head inside the switching station, and pull the lever to change the tracks and cause the train to crash.

Acid Lab Guide

After a mini-cut scene, you need to get your hands on a cutting saw. You can easily get it from the worker’s tool bag just ahead of you.

Acid Lab Guide

Drive a little further ahead, and a green bag appears on your mini-map. You will find two workers standing by the tool bag.

Acid Lab Guide

Eliminate the workers, and steal the cutting saw from the bag. This cutting saw is required to open the containers at the train crash site.

Acid Lab Guide

Once you have the saw, make your way to the train crash site and open up the containers. They are marked by a white circle on your mini-map.

Take your time to take out enemies while staying taking cover. You’re not on a timer.

Acid Lab Guide

Although you don’t need it, if you have a launcher, it will make your life much easier. You will constantly get attacked by enemy choppers and can use your launcher to take them out quickly.

Acid Lab Guide

It is still okay if you don’t have a launcher. Just wait for the attack chopper to get closer and shoot the pilot to take it out instantly.

Get on the trailers and interact with the container to cut it open. If there is a chemical inside, it will have a green hovering arrow on top. Approach the chemical, and interact with it to collect it.

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab Guide

It is best to stay covered and use the containers to your advantage. It provides great cover against attacking enemy choppers. Clear out the enemies before you start opening the containers as you enter a small cutting animation that cannot be canceled.

Acid Lab Guide

You will die if you’re in direct sight of the enemy during the cutting animation.

Acid Lab Guide

Once you’ve collected all the chemicals, go to the end of the crash, and steal the Brickade 6×6 truck.

Acid Lab Guide

Drive this truck back to The Freakshop to complete this mission successfully.

Acid Lab Guide

Acid Lab

Once you’ve completed the missions, go inside The Freakshop, and talk to Mutt to install the lab equipment and get access to the Acid Lab business.

Acid Lab Guide

You need to spend GTA$750,000 to install the equipment. And this is without the lab equipment upgrade, which is necessary to make this business an effective online money earner.

Acid Lab Guide

You can now customize your Brickade 6×6 and the delivery bike to make them stronger.

Acid Lab Guide

After installing, you can use either talk to Mutt to buy the supplies for GTA$60,000.

Acid Lab Guide

You can also call Mutt when you’re out in Los Santos to get a sourcing mission or just ask him to re-supply for GTA$60,000.

Acid Lab Guide

If you’re just starting out the Acid Lab business, it is best to source the supplies yourself as it won’t be profitable otherwise. We recommend sourcing through purchase once you’ve got the lab equipment upgrade. To source yourself, enter the Brickade 6×6 and interact with the wooden shelf in the left corner. The Brickade must be parked outside The Freakshop to start the sourcing mission.

Acid Lab Guide

Once you have enough stock, you can interact with the shelf to the right (it is empty at the moment, but will have boxes filled with acid once Mutt produces stock).

Acid Lab Guide

We will get to the lab equipment upgrade in a bit. Let’s first talk about the general working of the business. The general idea is exactly the same as any other business. You source the supplies, wait for the business to manufacture the product, and sell it for money.

However, in this business, there are some bonuses that can help you be more efficient. One of which is the daily production boost. There is a designated table with some testing equipment. You can interact with it per day to gain a production boost. It will double the production speed for half an hour and can only be done once daily.

Acid Lab Guide

You can do the sell missions in both public and invite sessions. As always, you get a high-demand bonus if you successfully sell your acid in a public lobby.

Lab Equipment Upgrade

Before we get into the payouts, it is essential you focus on getting the lab equipment upgrade first. This upgrade will skyrocket your profit as opposed to earning without the upgrade.

Unfortunately, getting the upgrade is a long and tedious process, but it must be done if you wish to enter the Acid Lab business. The upgrade is locked by default, and you must complete 10 Fooligan jobs to unlock it.

Acid Lab Guide

You can complete the Fooligan jobs by calling Dax. Once you complete a Fooligan job, you must wait for a 48-minute cooldown to end before requesting another one. This means that you can unlock the lab equipment upgrade after roughly 8-9 hours.

Once you’ve completed 10 Fooligan jobs, you can return to your Freakshop and purchase the equipment upgrade for GTA$250,000, but it is worth every penny. And you will see why in the payout section below.

Payout & Production

Let’s understand the payout and production time of the new business and how much you can expect to earn with and without the lab equipment upgrade. As mentioned earlier, if you do not have a lab equipment upgrade, you won’t be able to make a lot of profit.

So make sure you’ve completed 10 Fooligan jobs before shifting your complete focus to this business.

  • Full Stock Value
  • Without Equipment Upgrade With Equipment Upgrade
    $237,600 $335,200
  • Full Stock Production Time
  • Without Equipment Upgrade With Equipment Upgrade
    6 Hours 4 hours
  • Full Stock Production Time (+Boost)
  • Without Equipment Upgrade With Equipment Upgrade
    4 Hours and 30 Mins 3 Hours

  • Supply Cost
    • Total Acid Lab capacity is 160.
    • Purchasing a $60,000 full supply fills up 50 units only. The 50 units are valued at $74,250.
    • This means you need to spend $180,000 to fill up 150 units and $12,000 for the remaining 10 units.

    You can improve the above with the equipment upgrade. Here’s the rundown.

    ‘Buy Supply’ Option Cost for Full Stock

    Without Equipment Upgrade With Equipment Upgrade
    $192,000 $96,000

    Value of $60,000 supplies

    Without Equipment Upgrade With Equipment Upgrade
    $74,250 $209,500

    As you can see, the equipment upgrade gives a huge profit margin.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Los Santos Drug Wars?

    Los Santos Drug Wars is a DLC in GTA Online that introduces a new storyline featuring a ragtag crew led by Dax, whose ultimate goal is to rise to the top of the Los Santos drug trade. This DLC was released on December 23, 2022.

    How to start Los Santos Drug Wars?

    To start Los Santos Drug Wars, watch out for a call from Ron. Make sure you’re in a location in the game that can receive a call. Meet up with him to start the first mission of the series. First Dose is the first part of the Los Santos Drug Wars DLC.

    How many Los Santos Drug Wars missions are there?

    There are 11 Los Santos Drug War missions made up of six First Dose missions and five Last Dose missions.

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Hassan Sajid
Hassan Sajid // Articles: 110
Combining his engineering background with his lifelong gaming passion, Hassan creates deeply informative, technically comprehensive guides to help fellow players master GTA. // Full Bio