What is Pink Cocaine / Tusi?

Pink Cocaine, also known as “Tusi,” “Tucibi,” “Tusi Lavada,” “Venus,” and “Nexus,” is a dangerous drug mixture rapidly growing in popularity in the United States. First gaining prevalence in Latin America, this drug cocktail is often mistaken for its similar-sounding alternatives—but it is far from either cocaine or 2C-B, and often, it doesn’t contain either drug.

The dangers of Pink Cocaine are becoming more widely known in the media, due to its mention in the recent lawsuits against Sean “Diddy” Combs,  along with its role in the death of former One Direction star, Liam Payne.

Pink Cocaine typically appears as a powder with a cocaine-like consistency, a pink color, and a sweet aroma or flavor. The pink hue and scent come from dyes or flavorings added, and the actual drug composition is largely variable.

The danger of Pink Cocaine / Tusi lies in its unpredictable makeup. It has been described as an “everything under the kitchen sink” drug, typically containing a random mix of ketamine, MDMA, opioids, caffeine, methamphetamine, actual 2C-B, and more. Since there is no standard formula, each batch can contain a different combination and concentration of drugs, making its effects highly variable and entirely unpredictable.

Below is a graph showcasing DrugsData.org’s most common components of drugs sold as Tucibi. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse expands upon the various mixtures found in Latin American countries, and the subsequent overlap of what’s being found in the U.S. With Tusi popularizing in the States, along with the commonality of fentanyl adulteration in the U.S. drug market, authors from this study warn about the likelihood of fentanyl also beginning to appear in Tusi mixtures.

Is Tucibi the same as 2C-B? 

Despite its phonetic similarities, Tucibi is not the same as 2C-B, and Pink Cocaine is not the same as cocaine. The similarity in naming, and the wide range of street names referring to this varying mystery cocktail, makes it even more difficult for users to prepare for the range of effects the drug mix can present. 

Many of the common components produce drastically differing effects, increasing the strain on users’ bodies, and the likelihood of adverse effects or overdose occurring. For instance, standard cocaine produces stimulating effects, 2C-B can be hallucinogenic, opioids can be depressive and sedating, MDMA can be euphoric and stimulating, ketamine can be sedating and disassociating, and Pink Cocaine / Tucibi can contain any combination of them, none of them at all, or all of them together. 

Similarly, Pink Cocaine users have reported a range of effects from the drug, including sedation, euphoria, dizziness, anxiety, hallucinations, loss of consciousness, and even medical emergencies, like seizures, high blood pressure, or heart problems.

Take Caution When You Hear Tusi Drug, Tusi Lavada, or Pink Coke

The number of street names associated with Pink Cocaine only add to the confusion of what users think they are purchasing. The association with more well-known or “pure” substances, along with the often pleasant aroma and inviting appearance make Tusi’s potential for harm that much greater. 

As with any drug—but especially a mystery concoction—harm reductionists advise anyone planning to consume Pink Cocaine to take extreme caution. Ingesting Pink Cocaine with alcohol, or any other substance can be highly dangerous, simply due to the high likelihood of unknown drug interactions, and subsequent adverse effects that could take place. 

How to Test Pink Cocaine

If you or a friend have accidentally acquired Pink Cocaine / Tusi instead of its more common alternatives, we highly advise discarding it. The risks are high for an unpredictable, difficult, or unpleasant experience at the least—and a detrimental or fatal result at the worst. 

If you intend to consume Pink Cocaine, thorough testing is imperative. For an at-home option, we recommend the Skylab Separation Test Kit, which separates out mixed substances and allows the testing of each individual component with reagents. This separation is a crucial first step to the process, simply because Pink Cocaine is rarely—if ever—a single substance. 

We also recommend testing for fentanyl with our FentKit, to ensure this deadly additive is not present. Even if fentanyl was not intentionally cut into the Tusi batch, any one of the added substances (especially any opioids, methamphetamine, cocaine, and Ecstasy pills) drastically increases the likelihood of fentanyl being present. 

Lab Test Your Tusi

For a more advanced option, sending a sample of Pink Cocaine to Transparency Testing, our mail-in lab testing service, would be the most accurate option for identifying all components present, and even determining how much of each component is in the mixture. 

Testing any drug you plan to take is crucial, but identifying what your particular Pink Cocaine batch contains is especially important.

Share this article with a friend to help keep them safe in the midst of the ever-changing drug landscape. Spreading the word about Pink Cocaine and other new or novel drugs allows others to be better informed, more prepared, and best equipped to prevent overdose.