Kush: The drug driving West African youths crazy

Kush, a pure or hybrid Cannabis indica strain, is a substance rolled up and smoked like a cigarette.

Contents

Its origin Side effect Countries where the drug is found Way out

The ‘Zombie drug’, according to reports, is wreaking havoc in West Africa, particularly in Sierra Leone where it is estimated to kill around a dozen people each week and hospitalise thousands, especially young people between the age of 18 and 25.

Its origin

The origins of Kush Cannabis are from landrace plants mainly in Afghanistan, Northern Pakistan, and North-Western India with the name coming from the Hindu Kush mountain range. “Hindu Kush” strains of Cannabis were taken to the United States in the mid-to-late 1970s and continue to be available there to the present day.

While cannabis is widely grown in Sierra Leone, the fentanyl is thought to originate in clandestine laboratories in China where the drug is manufactured illegally and shipped to West Africa. Tramadol has a similar source, namely illegal laboratories across Asia. Formaldehyde, which can cause hallucinations, is also reported in this mixture.

Side effect

The effects of the drug vary and depend on the user and the drug content.

For some users, kush addiction can fuel serious psychiatric issues. There have also been reports of people developing swelling and infections, leading to open wounds on their legs, but there is no clear medical explanation for this.

The drug can also prove fatal. When high, users have been known to bang their heads repeatedly against walls, walk into traffic, or fall from high places.

Countries where the drug is found

The drug is reported in both Guinea and Liberia, which share porous land borders with Sierra Leone, making drug trafficking easy.

Way out

As with other drugs, the key to preventing cannabis addiction is avoiding usage. Other approaches such as cognitive-behavioural treatment, which helps individuals identify, avoid, and manage events that are likely to trigger drug use, and motivational incentives, which employ vouchers or modest monetary rewards to urge patients to stay drug-free, can help manage and reduce Kush addiction. More importantly, it is advisable for an addict to seek mental help if he/she finds it difficult to stay away from this Zombie drug.