Kush (drug)
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The composition of Kush was initially unclear, but it was described as a synthetic cannabinoid-like drug that is made from a combination of different chemicals and plants.[1][7] Early anecdotal reports suggested the active components to be opioids such as fentanyl and tramadol, possibly mixed with other drugs such as methamphetamine, along with chemicals such as acetone and formaldehyde, "rat poison", and allegedly even ground-up human bones sourced from graveyards. However, subsequent laboratory analysis of Kush samples has shown none of these ingredients to be present, aside from acetone and formaldehyde which are indeed used in the manufacturing process.[8]
Instead, Kush samples were found to consist of a plant base of marshmallow, mixed with synthetic cannabinoids and/or nitazene based synthetic opioids. Some samples contained just synthetic cannabinoids, some samples contained just nitazenes, and some samples contained both types of drug. The main cannabinoid found was MDMB-4en-PINACA and in one sample also AB-CHMINACA, while the main opioids found were either protonitazene or protonitazepyne, or less commonly metonitazene.
Interviews with arrested traffickers and producers of Kush revealed that in some cases, the synthetic cannabinoids were manufactured domestically inside Sierra Leone, from imported "kits" containing tail-less precursor chemicals (similar to MDMB-5Br-INACA) which were supplied along with the appropriate precursor to add the tail to the 1-position NH, so all that had to be sourced locally were readily available chemical reagents to catalyse the reaction. The crude reaction product was then mixed directly into plant material without further purification, resulting in significant contamination with synthetic byproducts and solvent residues, believed to be responsible for some batches having strong chemical odor. Some producers of Kush did report also incorporating tramadol diverted from medical sources into batches of Kush, but none of the samples that were analysed were found to contain tramadol.[2][9][10]