In 1995, the Drug Enforcement Administration classified 2C-B as a Schedule I controlled substance, making it illegal to possess, purchase, or sell this substance. These effects are comparable to other drugs, such as LSD or mescaline. Therefore, many street-level dealers will sell tucibi disguised as these more well-known or desirable drugs.
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Pink cocaine is a synthetic phenylethylamine that reacts with the body’s serotonin system to achieve its psychoactive properties. 2C-B, also known as tucibi or pink cocaine, is a powerful hallucinogenic drug that can have a number of recreational and dangerous effects. Like many other drugs, 2C-B can quickly lead to addiction, and many people will need professional drug addiction treatment in order to recover.
What is Pink Cocaine (Tusi/Tucibi) and Why is it Dangerous?
He described the effects of Tuci as “trippy, euphoric and dissociative”.
While the two leading national drug surveys in the US do query ketamine use, “correct” responses to questions about use would depend on the participant knowing they were exposed to ketamine in tusi. As such, use of drugs such as ketamine or MDMA that was present in tusi will likely be underreported. Similarly, the use of synthetic cathinones (“bath salts”) is commonly underreported among people who use ecstasy because they are unaware that the ecstasy they used contained these compounds (26,27). Studies focusing on both self-report and toxicological testing may be needed to inform the most accurate estimates of drug use.
Pink Cocaine vs. Cocaine: Side Effects and Health Risks Compared
When used in the context of drug jargon, this might suggest that the tusi has undergone a certain process of refinement or purification. Contrary to popular belief, Tucibi or tuci, typically lacks any amount of 2C-B. Instead, it is composed of a blend of ketamine, amphetamines, or MDMA, and at times mixed with opioids or hallucinogens like LSD and mescaline and opioids like fentanyl and oxycodone. The effects of Tucibi usually culminate at hour two after ingestion. That said, pink cocaine can cause various health complications, such as cardiac arrest and hypothermia.
- Furthermore, taking a psychedelic drug can often trigger underlying mental health concerns that the person is unaware of, such as depression, anxiety, or even schizophrenia.
- Users will often experience excitement, warmth, nervousness, and tingling sensations in the first phase of intoxication from pink cocaine.
- That differentiates it from other drugs made from natural plants, like marijuana or cocaine.
- Its place as a street drug and substance of abuse is largely cultural in nature.
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The term “pink cocaine” is particularly misleading, as it may lead users to believe they are consuming a form of cocaine, which can result in dangerous misunderstandings about its effects. One dose of pink cocaine can lead to a long-term battle with addiction. For instance, a minor issue can result in paranoia and crying.
It is a designer drug that is often used in clubs, festivals, and party scenes due to its psychoactive properties and stimulant effect. It was originally developed in the early 1970s by the organic chemist Alexander Shulgin, who is known for his work with MDMA. It was originally marketed and sold as a libido enhancer or as a treatment option for erectile dysfunction. In the past ten years, 2C-B, or pink cocaine, has been reintroduced as a recreational party drug. 2C-B was believed to first be sold as ‘pink cocaine’ in major cities such as Bogota, Medellin, Barranquilla, and Cartagena, tucibi according to law enforcement officials in South America.
The OEDA report notes that it is the “third most consumed new psychoactive substance” after ketamine and spice, a synthetic cannabinoid. Upon ingestion, pink cocaine acts as a controller substance, affecting neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and phenylethylamine. These neurotransmitters play crucial roles in mood regulation and perception. The drug’s stimulant properties can elevate heart rate, blood pressure, and mental alertness, while also inducing feelings of euphoria and heightened sensory experiences.
2C-B produces its powerful hallucinogenic effects for between four to eight hours. The potential for a “bad trip”—or a psychedelic experience dominated by negative, anxious, and fearful thoughts—is exceptionally high. The similarities start and end with their high potential for dependency and addiction. In Colombia, people call Tucibi “the drug of queens and models.” This strange nickname came about because the combination of 2C-B and ecstasy is a powerful aphrodisiac. In fact, before it became illegal, psychiatrists used Tucibi in couples therapy.
Risks of 2C-B Use
The drug first emerged in Colombia around 2010 and initially contained the psychedelic 2C-B (5). However, drug-checking studies have shown that 2C-B is now rarely found in Tusi. Instead, Tusi is often a mix of unpredictable substances, including ketamine, MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine, opioids, or other new psychoactive substances (1). Despite the nickname it’s recently earned in its rise to popularity, pink cocaine is not actually cocaine; it’s only named that way. Pink cocaine is a synthetic party drug that’s especially popular among teens. Also more formerly known as 2C-B, pink cocaine has various side effects, including the potential for overdose which can harm both one’s physical and mental well-being.
The media, frankly, has not been a positive influence when it comes to pink cocaine as this type of drug and drug abuse behavior has been glamorized in television and movies, as drugs of abuse often are. The second group of inexperienced, naive drug users includes children, young adults, and anyone who develops an interest in drug experimentation. Because of the variable nature of the contents of Tucibi, it can be deadly the first time it is used. Recreational drugs like pink cocaine are typically made in illegal local labs or “kitchens.” Each supplier uses their own mix of substances. There’s no way to know exactly how your product is made or what’s in it.
Overdose Risks
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction or mental health, it is important to get treatment. At Oasis Recovery Center treatment specialists utilize a 12-step program and practice holistic rehabilitation. A Pink Cocaine habit is both physically and mentally damaging. To successfully surrender a harmful addiction like this, an accredited rehabilitation center is the ideal environment for healing and long-term recovery. It’s critical to enter an institution that offers the optimal environment for healing and long-term recovery. Once detox is completed, a patient will undergo a thorough treatment program, which includes behavioral therapy, extensive counseling, and peer support.
Few epidemiological drug surveys query 2C or 2C-B use, but the drug appears to be particularly prevalent in Spain (8,9). In the Netherlands, detection of 2C series drugs in poisonings and in forensic and consumer drug samples increased between 2013 and 2017 (10). In the US, detection of 2C series drugs in drug seizures appeared to increase from 2006 to 2015 with an uptick in 2C-B seizures in 2019 (11–13). Although national drug surveys in the US do not query 2C use, type-in responses on the largest national drug survey suggest increases in lifetime use since the early 2000s (4). Within the New York City nightclub-attending population, in 2016, lifetime prevalence of 2C use was estimated to be 4.9%, with 62.0% of attendees unfamiliar with this class of drugs (14). Between 2017 and 2022, past-year 2C series use was estimated to be 2–3% among nightclub-attending populations in New York City (2), with estimated past-month use increasing from 0.2% in 2017 to 2.1% in 2022 (15).
Tusi is a relatively new drug concoction that is marketed using the phonetic translation of “2C.” This name, especially when mentioned verbally, has great potential to incorrectly refer to 2C. Variations in spelling include “tuci,” ”tucci,” and “tussi,” and tusibí and tucibí (17,18)—which even further misrepresent the specific compound 2C-B. The mixture is also sometimes referred to as “pink cocaine” (“cocaina rosada” in Spanish) despite cocaine rarely being a component of the concoction.