What is Pink Cocaine?

Pink cocaine is a powdered mixture of substances, which is dyed pink, may have a sweet smell, and typically produces mind-altering, hallucinogenic effects. 

Pink cocaine has also been referred to as tusi.  The original compound in tusi was 2C-B, a psychedelic phenylethylamine. Once 2C-B became harder to get, drug organizations shifted to a drug cocktail, which they dyed pink and sold as pink cocaine. 

Pink cocaine rarely contains 2C-B anymore, and the actual substances included in pink cocaine are not known until a sample is tested. It is likely, however, that pink cocaine contains no cocaine. DEA laboratory testing has identified pink powders containing combinations such as:

• Ketamine and MDMA
• Methamphetamine, ketamine, and MDMA
• Cocaine and fentanyl
• Fentanyl and xylazine

What are the effects of Pink Cocaine?

Effects of pink cocaine can vary greatly as many seizures contain mixtures of a variety of dangerous drugs, but much like MDMA or ecstasy, pink cocaine is a mind-altering psychedelic drug. Ingesting an unknown substance or drug cocktail is dangerous and can be deadly. 

Why is it pink?

Pink cocaine is dyed pink to distinguish it from other substances such as cocaine and methamphetamine. The distinct pink color comes from food dye or colored baking powder.

How widespread is Pink Cocaine?

Currently, pink cocaine is not a commonly trafficked substance. State and local law enforcement are more likely to encounter pink cocaine at the retail level.

Since 2020, DEA has seized a total of 960 pink powders, 4 exhibits contained 2C-B and 956 exhibits of “other” substances. To put that into perspective, within that same time, DEA has seized 180 million fentanyl pills.

Pink cocaine is typically found in urban areas with active night club scenes like Miami, New York, and Los Angeles. 

Why is it dangerous?

Pink cocaine is a mixture of several different substances, every batch is different, and a person does not know how their body will react to it each time.  The only commonality of pink cocaine is its bright pink coloring.

Why are we seeing an emergence of Pink Cocaine?

Dealers are marketing pink cocaine as a “new” drug and catering to the polydrug user population.

What does DEA want people to know about Pink Cocaine?

The drug landscape has changed. Drug use is more dangerous than ever before with the advent of fentanyl and the deceptive tactics used by drug organizations to drive dependency, which can eventually lead to addiction.