According to a UN drugs report on the rise of the illegal ketamine trade published this week, this year tusi has been spotted at a music festival in the UK, and also in Austria and Switzerland. A bright pink drug from Colombia that is a mish-mash of MDMA and ketamine is gaining traction among drug users in Europe. The media has played a role in glamorizing this type of drug and drug abuse behavior, often depicting them in a favorable light in television and movies as a pink powder drug, perpetuating a troubling trend.
What Exactly Is Tusi?
As noted above, calling the pink drug cocktail “tusi” or “tucibi” confuses people, perhaps intentionally, into thinking they are buying 2C-B or a 2C drug when, in fact, they are not. Within the United States, an analysis of 19 pink powders submitted to and tested by DrugsData found that 95 percent contained ketamine. Here, we do our best to dispel some of the mystique around pink cocaine by unpacking its composition, properties, culture, and risks.
Pink Cocaine Composition: What’s Really Inside? (Ketamine, MDMA, Fentanyl & More)
Coast Guard reported seizing pink cocaine among other drugs off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America. Today, young people may not know the history of the name tusi and they may be confused by the name pink cocaine, he said. The pink powder — really a grab bag of different drugs dyed pink — has turned up in drug seizures, prompting warnings from law enforcement. “Contrary to the belief that “pink cocaine” is a drug of the elites, used by models and rich people, this product is being used by people from every level,” said Claudio Vidal, a director at Energy Control. In May, police found a drug lab in a town just outside Madrid where they said suppliers had been mixing up drugs to create pink cocaine.
- The product, made by suppliers in local DIY kitchen labs, varies with each “cook”, and has been found to contain a variety of other drugs, such as benzos, meth and cathinones, although rumours it has been found to contain fentanyl are unproven.
- Each manufacturer or street dealer can craft their blend with varying proportions of ketamine and amphetamines.
- «It’s a pretty pink powder, and everyone’s starting to use it, when it really started increasing was around mid-2023.»
«Don’t play with this stuff… It’s a powerful substance.»
«The person who thinks they’re getting cocaine and ends up getting a pretty strong dose of ketamine may be completely knocked out,» Brennan said. «Cocaine is a stimulant, and someone who is expecting to get cocaine may know how it affects their body or their tolerance,» said Brennan of the «speedball» concoction. Tusi contains both depressants and stimulants, shocking one’s system and causing a series of potentially deadly effects. Brennan added that «the primary concern is for the users,» especially considering the drug isn’t consistent in its makeup. WebMD reports that NPS drugs are challenging to test because their chemical makeup differs.
With repeated use, users can develop tolerance, leading to an increase in the dose consumed and an increased risk of severe adverse effects. ] are trying to educate potential users who may not know how different ketamine is from cocaine. They say there are record numbers of overdoses and there is no way to know exactly what is in pink cocaine. This context created an environment conducive to recreational drug use, in which tusi became an attractive option due to its appearance and perceived effects. Ketamine and MDMA are the most common ingredients, although cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, caffeine, cathinones, and other designer drugs are found as well. «Tusi» is a phonetic translation of «2C,» a series of psychedelic phenethylamines.
Pink Cocaine: Effects and Harm Reduction
The warning system first issued an alert on pink cocaine in February 2023, when researchers noticed a spike in chatter from Redditors. Palamar explained there’s a whole community called «Psychonauts,» in which people use novel drugs or induce «altered states of consciousness» and post about their experiences. When Palamar first heard of pink cocaine, his team immediately scoured posts on Reddit as part of his research for the National Drug Early Warning System. «It’s a pretty pink powder, and everyone’s starting to use it, when it really started increasing was around mid-2023.» Further, mixing and matching intoxicating substances increases risk of contraindications and harm. Tusi, or pink cocaine, is thought to have originated in Colombia in the early 2010s, spread by narco-traffickers.
Law enforcement raises warning over so-called pink cocaine
- A search of their homes in Spain revealed 8 kilos of what officers called “pink cocaine,” as well as regular cocaine and cash.
- Prized for perpetuating a “feel good” vibe, it’s increasingly popular at nightclubs, music festivals, and anywhere people like to party.
- Similarly, “pink cocaine” might sound appealing to someone seeking real cocaine.
- The original 2C-B has a key component of 2C-B or 4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine, renowned for its sought-after psychoactive effects in recreational settings.
«But it’s interesting how rarely we actually find it.» There is also evidence that tusi can contain bath salts, caffeine, LSD, or mescaline. Because of the nickname «Pink Cocaine,» some have simply believed the drug is a food-coloring version of the typically white drug. Pink cocaine may have surfaced in Colombia, but its ties to Europe can’t be ignored. Jones made shocking allegations in court documents, including accusing Diddy of hosting wild, drug-fueled parties where sexual assaults took place. Originating in Colombia, Tusi became a hot topic of conversation after the drug was mentioned in Rodney «Lil Rod» Jones Jr.’s lawsuit against Sean «Diddy» Combs. Officials said it is most commonly used by young people in the club scene.
Pink cocaine is also known as “tusi,” but both nicknames for the powder are more about marketing than reality. This photo provided by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor in New York shows a bag of pink cocaine in January 2023. Before 2019, the NGO, which tests drugs sent in by the public, received only a handful of drug samples it identified as tusi, but in the last three years it has received 150. The drug has been identified sporadically in Spain since 2011, and one of the first major busts was in 2016, when nine people including some Colombians were arrested for operating a tusi lab just outside Madrid. A search of their homes in Spain revealed 8 kilos of what officers called “pink cocaine,” as well as regular cocaine and cash.
Listen: Pink Cocaine – Uncovering the Truth (Podcast)
«Certainly, any customer would assume that there would be cocaine in something marketed as ‘pink cocaine,'» New York City Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan said, per Newsweek. Synthetic drugs have long wreaked havoc on communities worldwide, and «Tuci» or «Tusi,» also known as «Pink Cocaine,» is the latest substance to surge in the market. Pink cocaine is a combination of other drugs.
Over time, users can build a tolerance, needing more of the drug to get the same high, which escalates the addiction risk. The tusi phenomenon also has the potential to complicate drug research as unknown exposure to drugs like ketamine and MDMA will lead to underreporting of use. People using may think the drug is 2C/2C-B, and they may also be unaware that the concoction tends to consist of ketamine and a wide variety of other drugs. Despite its name, the concoction rarely contains 2C series drugs. The effects of tusi are varied and depend on the specific mix of substances in each dose. Both researchers and people at risk for use need to be informed about this new concoction.
A drug concoction called tusi has emerged in Latin America and in Europe and is now beginning to acquire popularity in the United States. He was reportedly pulled over for a traffic stop and found to have 10 pounds of pink cocaine in a bag. The Coast Guard’s 11th district commander, Rear Admiral Andrew Sugimoto, said in a statement, «The effort put in while interdicting more than 33,000 pounds of cocaine in a few weeks’ time is unparalleled.» He added, «We will continue our commitment to stopping these criminals and the vast amounts of drugs they attempt to bring into our country.» The U.S. Coast Guard has been diligent in these patrols, capturing several illicit drugs, including tusi, worth upward of $2 billion on the streets. Over the last few years, there have been increasing raids toosy drug and arrests connected with pink cocaine. Factors including drug tolerance, physical stature, how much is used (and frequency), as well as what is in tusi can influence these harmful effects.
Society and culture
Ahumada’s group in Argentina surveyed social media users about tusi. “Know first and foremost that it is not 2C-B and that it is not a substance but a cocktail or mixture of stimulant and depressant substances,” says Ahumada. As I noted in a review of the festival, its prevalence in the crowd seemed to inspire a steamy and open-minded, yet not too “druggy” vibe (unlike the ketamine “zombie” effect). Depending on the composition and local perceptions of the drug, it can vary from being a cheap and abundant alternative to cocaine or 2C-B to a drug that is quite expensive and favored by the upper classes.
Since 2C drugs are relatively rare and sometimes expensive, tusi could be sold as a cheap and readily available alternative. Cocaine, MDA, Oxycodone, DMT, Tramadol, and a few other substances were found in less than 11 percent of powders tested. The most important thing to know about pink cocaine is that it is not cocaine. Users and harm reduction specialists say it usually feels like a light stimulant (comparable to weak cocaine or ecstasy) that can cause euphoria, “sexy” feelings, and psychedelic effects or visuals that sometimes tip over into “bad trip” territory. “Pink cocaine”—also known as “tusi,” “tucibi,” “venus,” or “nexus”—is, unsurprisingly, invariably pink, and usually has a slightly sweet aroma. “Sometimes it has cocaine in the mix, but it’s typically more of a ketamine concoction,” Palamar said.
Law enforcement officials also claim that the drug is moving quickly underground through clubs and concerts. It’s believed the same gang is also a major player in trafficking tusi into the U.S. Meanwhile, Brennan detailed her first run-in with tusi when 51-year-old Carlos Asturias was arrested in January 2023. The February and March busts resulted in the arrests of five people who face federal charges. «The effect on them is not going to be what they would’ve expected, and they may not be prepared in any way shape or form for that kind of reaction. It’s dangerous.» Further, prolonged tusi use can also result in depression, anxiety, personality shifts, and changes in sleep patterns.
Users might feel an overwhelming urge to keep using tuci for its euphoric effects due to its MDMA content, spiked with speed, which puts the user on alert at the same time. The actual meaning is different in other regions, as are the specific methods used in the drug’s preparation or distribution. Each manufacturer or street dealer can craft their blend with varying proportions of ketamine and amphetamines.
