Tusi (drug)

Tusi (also written as tussi, tuci, or tucibi) is a recreational drug that contains a mixture of different psychoactive substances, most commonly found in a pink-dyed powder known as pink cocaine. It is believed to have originated in Latin America, specifically Colombia around 2018. Ketamine and MDMA are the most common ingredients, although cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, caffeine and various cathinones are found as well. There are no standard proportions of the constituent drugs.

The inclusion of pink dye is an element that seeks to attract consumers, especially young people, by offering a striking visual aspect that resembles something "attractive" or "festive."

Though the name "tusi" is phonetically related to "2C", tusi is not the same psychoactive substance as 2C-B or more broadly, the 2C family. Tusi, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, contained no 2C-B in most instances as of 2022.

Society and culture

Latin America

2C-B was introduced to Colombia by upper-class young people from Medellín who brought it from Europe. In its early days, it was an elite drug, much more expensive than cocaine. To facilitate its consumption, it began to be mixed with pink food coloring, which gave it its name and characteristic aesthetic. Due to the limited availability of 2C-B, traffickers began adulterating it with caffeine, MDMA, and ketamine. This mixture became the standard formula, which rarely contained 2C-B from that point on. Production expanded to several Colombian cities.

Beginning in 2015, tusi began to be exported to countries such as the United States, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. Starting in 2017, tusi became democratized and its price dropped significantly, attracting middle- and lower-class consumers.