DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A groundbreaking report released on Tuesday by an anti-transnational crime organization has revealed the primary chemical constituents of kush, a synthetic drug that has rapidly gained traction in Sierra Leone and its neighboring regions over the past few years.

The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime conducted the first comprehensive analysis of the most prevalent kush varieties found in Sierra Leone and other West African countries, determining that they predominantly contain either nitazenes or synthetic cannabinoids.

According to the report, “Nitazenes are powerful, often lethal synthetic opioids that have quickly infiltrated global drug markets, particularly in Europe since 2022.” The report highlights alarming statistics, noting that in 2023, nitazenes accounted for 48% of drug-related deaths in Estonia and 28% in Latvia. One specific nitazene identified in kush is reported to be 25 times more effective than fentanyl.

Last year, Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio initiated a campaign against kush, labeling it an epidemic and a national threat. He established a task force focusing on drug and substance abuse, committing to a preventive and therapeutic approach that integrates law enforcement with community efforts.

The report asserts, “We believe kush marks the first instance of nitazenes infiltrating West Africa’s drug markets. This aligns with global patterns indicating a surge in nitazenes and associated fatalities since late 2022.”

In a phone interview, report co-author Lucia Bird Ruiz-Benitez de Lugo described how kush has found its way into West Africa. Initially imported as a finished product, there is an increasing trend of sourcing precursor chemicals from China through online platforms like Alibaba. These chemicals are mixed in labs within Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown. After processing, the resultant psychoactive liquid is applied to plant material designed for smoking, thereby marketed as kush.

While there are widespread speculations regarding the contents of kush, ranging from tramadol to human bones, the report clarifies that no such evidence was found during their testing of various samples.

Since its emergence in West Africa’s retail drug market, kush has skyrocketed in popularity, paralleling a rise in associated fatalities, as highlighted in the report. The synthetic opioids and cannabinoids embedded in the drug are highly addictive and have devastated communities in Sierra Leone in recent years.

The drug trade has led to rampant local corruption, with the term ‘cartels’ being locally used to describe kush smoking venues, which often emerge in close proximity to police stations. In some instances, bar owners are expected to supervise their clients as part of their own community policing efforts.

As the craving for kush’s addictive properties has intensified, the report points out that overdose incidents have surged due to evolving recipes and increased consumption rates.

“Nitazenes have been associated with a significant number of overdose deaths in the United States, and the EU early warning system first identified them in 2019. Since then, their prevalence has spread to South America, Asia, and Oceania, with global detection and overdose cases escalating sharply,” the report stated.