Press Release from CODaP
Our country is in the midst of a massive Kush epidemic, compounded by sharp increases in the abuse of other illicit drugs. Currently, this “Kush” abuse crisis is affecting youths both men and women in all regions of the country and the problem is spreading out of control. Deaths related to Kush have nearly quadrupled from about 5 years ago, more Sierra Leonean youths died from drug overdoses now than ever.
Huge increases in the availability of cheap, highly potent Kush and other illicit drugs, coming from outside of the country is contributing significantly to this problem. Most illicit drugs available in the country is smuggled across the border by those who put money over the lives of our youths.
Some prominent people label the drug epidemic as criminal justice issue, and some try to make it a health issue, however, both approaches oversimplify this complex challenge. The demand for abused and illicit drugs must be addressed in tandem with arresting the supply of these drugs.
As an organization, CODaP for the past years have been working with schools, various local communities and law enforcement to provide education and awareness on how we can tackle this issue before it destroys the next generation.
CODaP currently collaborates with a Clinical, Educational, Neuro Psychotherapist in Silicon Valley, California, USA by the name of Dr. Edwina Davies to provide out-patient care at no cost to any individual who seek our services. We are in the process of looking for a facility to be used as a residential treatment center, so that we can be able to provide in-patient services, because we believe that some clients require intensive therapeutic interventions to kick this dying habit.
You may have seen or heard our director, Mr. Sahid Bangura and sometimes Dr. Edwina Davies on various news outlets and other forums speaking about this issue, this is because we are very committed to tackling it head-on and we cannot afford to waste any time doing so.
Our office is located at 25 Lightfoot Boston St. in Freetown and we are open from Monday-Friday, you can walk-in or call us at 077 243694. Again, our service is free, but we require commitment and determination from your side. Together we will heal our beloved country from this epidemic, one youth at a time and one community at a time!
WE PUBLISH BELOW AN ARTICLE ON WHAT KUSH IS AND HOW IT IS BUSY DESTROYING OUR PEOPLE
Kush, the ‘sleeping drug’ slowly killing Sierra Leonean youth
In recent years, the youth of Sierra Leone have taken to the use of synthetic marijuana/drug called “Kush.” It is popularly known to be a variant of marijuana (weed), which a lot of young folks smoke nowadays to, as they say, make them feel good.
Research conducted by the American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), described Kush as a synthetic version of tetrahydrocannabinol mixture of plant material sprayed with synthetic psychoactive chemicals similar to the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana/weed.
The Urban Dictionary also describes Kush as a strain of Cannabis that is almost solely of the Indica variety. It states further that Kush is a sweet-smelling plant part of the Cannabis-Indica family that makes the plant short and squat in appearance.
The drug comes in different colours and textures. According to research, most Kush drugs have some purple colouration and very dense buds. Kush is part of the Cannabis Genius indica family. The following are some of the various types of Kush — Afghan Kush, Hindu Kush, Green Kush; Purple Kush, OG Kush and Bubba Kush – which are classified as the popular Kush strains of the Cannabis-indica drug family.
Kush looks a bit different from marijuana, and according to consumers, its reaction on them is quite different from the reaction they get after smoking marijuana.
The Kush variant of marijuana is also renowned for its heavy sedative effects on its users.
The drug has numerous “street names.” However, some call it: Bliss, Black Mamba, Blaze, Bombay Blue, Fake Weed, Legal Weed, Genie, Zohai, etc. Of all these street names, two of them stand out — “Spice” and “K2.”
Research shows that Kush is grown in the mountainous regions of Pakistan, Afghanistan and some parts of India, and this drug exists in many different forms.
Also, Kush drug has different Hybrid strains, all coming from the C-genius-indica; the different strains include – Blueberry Kush and Golden Jamaican Kush.
Research shows that all Kush strains trace their roots back to the Kush Mountain range in India, hence their name.
The arrival of Kush in Sierra Leone
“Kush” is one of the popular substances (drugs) that have recently arrived in Sierra Leone. This drug certainly came to the spotlight sometime around 2020/2021. Other sources say that the drug arrived much earlier but was not in widespread circulation.
Why do youths smoke Kush, and how does it affect them?
Even though Kush is a drug labelled as “not meant for human consumption,” humans, particularly young folks, have made food and water out of the drug with dire repercussions. They see it as a temporary solution to their economic challenges.
Youths, who are frequent users of dangerous drugs, like, cocaine, marijuana, have resolved to take Kush for their gratification, as stated by one of the users of Kush I spoke to.
“When I smoke Kush, it gives me strength and courage to do my sex work. Frankly, I am not happy to smoke Kush, but it is the only thing that gives me the power, strength, and courage to do my sex job,” Kadiatu Lahai (not her real name), a commercial sex worker, disclosed to DUBAWA.
With that strength, she can have sex with ten or more men, she added.
Mohamed Koroma and Alfred Sesay (not their real names) also indicated that they smoke Kush to feel good and get the strength and power to carry out their daily activities.
Koroma and Sesay started smoking Kush as a result of peer influence.
“The first time I smoked Kush, I felt my right foot was missing. I started accusing my friends of losing my right foot, not knowing that my feet were intact. It is interesting, though, laughs! My friends laughed about it but ensured that I remained seated until the friction left me.
“Kush is a bad drug which can make someone get seriously embarrassed. But, now, my system has gotten used to the drug and it hardly affects me like the way it did to me the first time I took it,” Koroma said.
When asked if they’re aware of the adverse effects of Kush on their health, Koroma said that he is not. On the other hand, Sesay told DUBAWA that he is aware of the negative impacts of Kush, more so to those who smoke it frequently, adding that he wants to stop taking Kush, but it seems challenging for him.
The difficulty, according to him, is that Kush is the only thing that makes him forget his worries and feel good
How dangerous is Kush to those who frequently smoke it?
DUBAWA spoke to Abdul Aziz Suma — a medical doctor working at the country’s leading health centre — Connaught Hospital in Freetown. He stated that there are a lot of negative effects on the systems of those who smoke it, more so on those who are persistent smokers of the drug.
He said that, in Sierra Leone, Kush is normally laced with formalin (a substance used mainly in the mortuary to preserve dead bodies). So, mixing Kush and formalin makes the drug even worse for consumption by the living.
“Kush is a synthetic drug/marijuana that causes severe respiratory system [defects], which leads to dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, acting abnormally etc. And, in Sierra Leone, for instance, people who process it normally add formalin to it and that is more dangerous to the systems of those who smoke it,” he indicated.
Is Kush legal or illegal in Sierra Leone?
I asked the Head of Communications for the Sierra Leone Police — Superintendent Brima Kamara, who asserted that Kush is an ‘illegal drug’; adding that the drug seriously affects young folks who take it because it is produced with the combination of strong and hard chemicals that affect the human brain.
He added that the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) Force had conducted several raids to clamp down on peddlers of these hard drugs, like, tramadol, molly and Kush in the country.
He, however, disclosed that despite their robust efforts, there is little success in clamping down on the activities of the peddlers. He admitted that the peddlers of these drugs are on the increase.
When asked for the statistics of drug peddlers in the police net — Superintendent Kamara noted that he couldn’t give an accurate number of people who have been arrested or are in police custody for peddling Kush.
However, he disclosed that dozens of young men, including women, have been arrested and charged for possession of “illegal drugs.
What did Kush peddlers have to say?
While speaking to DUBAWA, Foday Sesay (not his real name, aka ‘Father’) — a drug peddler in Freetown; said that he is into the Kush business as a means of survival. He added that the police usually raid the area where they sell Kush, but they have now gotten used to the raids and even the raiders (police).
He disclosed that youths who smoke Kush are always weak, lazy, and unproductive. Noting further that the hard nature of the drug causes those who smoke it to act abnormally and even sleep against their will until it leaves their systems.
He added that it is rare to see an individual who smokes Kush do something productive when the Kush’s friction is in their head.
“Most of the youth who smoke Kush will not be able to engage in anything productive until the drug leaves their systems,” another peddler indicated.
A peddler in the Western part of Freetown stated that the police had arrested her and other peddlers on several occasions for peddling Kush and other hard drugs.
She said, “Many of us, the peddlers, have become friends with them (police), and that is the only thing saving us from the numerous raids.”
She added that Kush, unlike, marijuana (weed) and tramadol tablets, consumes a lot of money, stating that Kush is sold at 5Nles ($0.29), 7Nles ($0.41) and 10Nles ($0.58) in some places.
She indicated that Kush, unlike regular weed and tramadol, has a short-lived friction or effect on those who smoke it.
“As recently as Tuesday, October 19, 2022, — the SLP conducted a raid on us and took away drugs worth over millions of leones and hard cash of over 15 million leones,” a peddler told DUBAWA.
Another peddler (nicknamed: A – Plus) disclosed that people who sell Kush usually get a 100 percent profit on every business they transact.
What do youths who don’t smoke Kush think about it?
Alpha Bah, a student at Fourah Bay College (FBC), University of Sierra Leone (USL), informed DUBAWA that “Kush has disgraced dozens of young guys. It is obvious that some students also smoke Kush for only God knows why they smoke it. However, some say that the drug aids them to be able to study for a long time.”
He suggested that; “cold water can help to reduce or kill the power of Kush in the system because I experienced a situation where cold water was used to kill the power of Kush in a friend, and that helped him to feel better.”
Can chilled water help to kill the power of Kush in the system?
Dr Suma noted, “I have heard some youths who smoke Kush saying that cold water helps to cool down the power of the drug in the head. However, I will have to research as a medical doctor to know if chilled water can kill or reduce the power of Kush in the system.”
When asked if addicted Kush smokers have a way out of their addiction, Dr Suma said that people whose systems are addicted to Kush could be cleansed, adding that flushing the entire system of drug addicts can help to revive their systems.
A youth activist perspective of Kush
DUBAWA also spoke to Thomas P. Babadie, the Executive Director (ED) for the Forum for Sierra Leonean Youths Network (FoSLYN) in Freetown — (a non-profit organisation that seeks the interests & welfare of youths in the country).
He told this medium that dozens of youth in the country are seriously involved in drugs and alcoholism due to their numerous challenges.
He noted, according to his investigation as the ED for a viable youth organisation in the country, “unemployment” and “depression” are the two primary reasons why a lot of young people are into ill practices, like drugs and alcoholism. He further said they are the country’s two major causes of the ‘mental health’ challenge.
“My brother, a lot of youths, men and women inclusive, are going through a lot, and that is what is leading them into taking hard drugs, which is seriously affecting them.
For instance, unemployment is killing our youth, and the government and other organisations have to do something about it, and it should be done quickly,” Babadie indicated. He called on young folks to desist from hard drugs because they would only harm them and make them unproductive.
Conclusion
Kush has led dozens of youths to injure themselves, with others losing their lives on account of using the banned substance. It is evident that law enforcement agencies and other bodies have clamped down on importers and peddlers of the drug, but those efforts have yielded little success.
It is, however, clear that humans consuming Kush drug are at high risk of acting abnormally and even dying from the banned substance. There is need for more research on the factors leading to the use of the drug on users of Kush and on effective interventions on social and psychological effects of the availability of this dangerous drug in Sierra Leone.
BUT WHAT IS REALLY THIS KUSH ?
What is kush? A summary of its history and effects
If you spend much time shopping around for cannabis strains or products you’ll find that certain names repeat themselves over and over — especially “Kush.”
Kush is one of several building-block strains that have been used to breed an entire family of strains and hybrid cannabis chemovars.
Typically described as indica-dominant, with a tranquil, relaxing high, kush strains are potent and many people use them to wind down at the end of the day.
So where did this strain come from, how did it become so influential in cannabis, and how can you know if Kush is right for you? Let’s take a look.
How cannabis is categorized
Cannabis is a lot more complicated than simply “good weed and bad weed.” And as new legal cannabis markets open, countless breeders and would-be cultivators continue to tinker with current strains, creating all new offerings with confounding names to stock the dispensary shelves.
But even though there are well over 18,000 strains that we know about, ultimately almost all of them come back to a certain core trio of strain families: Kush, Haze, and Skunk. Cannabis strains are also typically categorized as “indica,” “sativa,” or “hybrid.” Countless cannabis fans use this to determine what type of high they’ll get from a strain, even though there is zero scientific evidence to back this up, and it is the chemical profile that determines how a strain works.
The reason you’ve seen Kush, Haze, and Skunk so many times is that these are three iconic strains that have been used to breed thousands and thousands of new strains that have inherited their look, flavor, aroma, and psychotropic effects from their famous genetic parents. Countless strains have also been crossed with “landrace” strains, which are native strains that grew wild in regions around the world, evolving to their environment and developing unique traits based on those environments.
What is Kush?
Spanning some of the most picturesque areas of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and northern Pakistan, the Hindu Kush mountain range is a land of soaring mountains, rivers, and remote villages. In the valleys between the snow-capped peaks, cannabis and the preparation of hashish has been a way of life for centuries and the hardy landrace strains that evolved there formed the basis of what we refer to as “Kush” today.
In the 1960s and 1970s, when Afghanistan was still part of the “Hippie Trail,” countless pot smokers and fellow travelers visited the country and took in the sights and sounds of one of the most beautiful places on Earth – with some of the most potent marijuana then available anywhere. Many of them brought these landrace seeds back with them, where they formed the origin seeds of the Kush strains we know today.
What are Kush strains like?
Just because a strain has “Kush” in the name doesn’t mean it was named as such following some sort of rigorous academic process. The strain in question may have no relation to Kush strains whatsoever. Nonetheless, there are some attributes that true Kush strains tend to have in common.
The physical attributes of kush strains
True Kush strains are indica or indica dominant, and they grow shorter and bushier, with large leaves that often have a purple tint to them. Kush strains tend to have dense, resin-coated buds, and often have a slight purple shade.
With their landrace origins, Kush strains evolved a hardy, durable nature that helped them thrive in the harsh conditions of the Hindu Kush region, making them more able to survive in colder climates.
What does kush weed smell and taste like?
Befitting its high country origins, the aroma of Kush weed can be very earthy and pine-scented. Other aromas of Kush weed can be floral, hashy, or sweet and spicy. Because of its aromas and smooth, earthy flavors, smoking Kush can be a highly-sensory experience.
It’s worth noting that these attributes aren’t set in stone. The aroma of the Kush strain you smoke will be determined by its terpene composition. If the strain is high in humulene, it will most likely bear a hoppy aroma (depending on the other terpenes and how they interact). A limonene dominant variety would be citrusy, and pinene would bring a woodsy smell, etc…
Growing kush strains
Over the centuries, Kush landrace strains survived and thrived in the harsh mountain country of the Hinda Kush range. Because these are typically tough strains with landrace origins, they don’t require a ton of close upkeep, and are usually easier for novice growers.
Kush strains can often be high yield, producing dense, resin-coated and highly aromatic buds. The very sticky, trichomes-laden nature of Kush flowers is a big part of what made them ideal for the making of hash.
They also tend to grow short and squat, which can make them easier to grow outdoors discreetly.
Kush strains tend to prefer dry and very sunny climates, and growers should pay attention to their humidity levels.
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What kush strains feel like
Kush strains are known for providing a relaxing, sedative experience, akin to wrapping yourself in a blanket and hovering over a hot cup of tea in a mountaintop Hindu Kush village. The high can be very euphoric and happy, but not especially energetic or cerebral like with Haze strains.
The high of Kush strains is very much what people picture when they think of Indica strains, even though as we pointed out, the chemical makeup of the chemovar is what determines the high, not whether or not its an indica or sativa or a kush or haze.
The tranquil high brought on by Kush strains make them great for anxiety, stress, and insomnia. These are strains that are perfect for unwinding at the end of the day, and are known for producing the “couch-lock” sensation countless cannabis fans seek out when they just want to take a load off and chill.
If you’re looking for a “wake and bake” strain or one to get your creativity and energy up throughout the day, a Kush strain might not be your best bet.
Terpenes and cannabinoids in kush strains
Kush strains tend to be high in THC, while the CBD shouldn’t be that high unless the particular chemovar was crossed with one that’s high in CBD.
The terpenes found in Kush depend on the particular strain in question. Based on our own research, Bubba Kush (a cross of Kush and Northern Lights), has high levels of Beta-Caryophyllene and Alpha-Humulene, both known for producing a relaxing effect, as well as delta-Limonene, which is more energetic and common in citrus fruits. Hindu Kush also has high levels of the same three terpenes. Both strains have high levels of Beta-Myrcene, the most common terpene found in cannabis, and one that is known for producing a relaxing effect.
Research carried out on four popular Kush strains by Leafly (OG Kush, Kosher Kush, Kimbo Kush, and Bubba Kush) found that the most common terpenes were Beta-Myrcene, Beta-Caryophyllene, delta-Limonene, and Alpha-Humulene. Other terpenes included Linalool and Pinene.
While these chemical profiles depend on the genetic makeup of the strain in question, for the most part Kush strains are high in THC, with terpenes that produce a relaxing effect and a mix of flavors ranging from earthy to sweet and spicy.
The extent of selective breeding over the years has made it such that pure Kush strains are extremely rare. Combined with the fact that there are no trademarks for cannabis varieties, it’s virtually impossible to determine the cannabinoid and terpene breakdown of the original Kush.
Even if Kush strains had distinct characteristics in the past, it’s unclear what they were or what to attribute them to. Even as science learns more about what makes different cannabis varieties unique, you should still choose your strain primarily based on its chemical profile.
Some popular kush strains to get to know
Kush strains are so popular that the word kush has become something of a byword for marijuana. This is partly because of the popularity and near ubiquity of some Kush strains, which you should really get to know.
OG Kush
Where would cannabis be if it wasn’t for OG Kush? Easily one of the most popular strains of all time, OG Kush has been used to breed a (very) long list of dynamite cannabis chemovars, even if the exact origin of OG Kush remains a bit unclear (both Hindu Kush and Chemdawg have been named as parent strains). A West Coast cannabis legend, OG Kush is also a subject of fascination because of its name.
Depending on who you ask, the OG is believed to stand for “Original Gangster” or “Ocean Grown,” because of a theory stating that it was grown by the sea and not in the mountains or hills of northern California and somehow that made it such a winning strain. Another theory states that it means “Original Grower” in homage to the cultivators who flew back Kush seeds from Afghanistan to the states in the 1970s. Finally, Josh D, one of the breeders often described as being responsible for OG Kush, has stated that it stands for “Original Gangster,” and that it was given that name to separate it from the other strains claiming to be the original OG Kush.
The bottom line is that this strain is so popular and has been bred in so many different ways that the sample you get could be very different from the variety first grown in southern California. Regardless, it should be a memorable experience.
Bubba Kush
Another highly popular Kush strain is this variety crafted by a grower named Matt “Bubba” Berger from some Northern Lights seeds and a Kush plant. The strain was a major hit in the 90s in Los Angeles, and sparked what High Times described as “the Kush Kraze.”
Bubba Kush is a powerfully sedative “couch lock” chemovar that isn’t ideal for smoking before noon (though you’re free to try). It has a strong, earthy aroma, a sweet flavor and can be a great strain for insomnia and stress. It also produces a strongly euphoric effect to lull you deeper into the couch.
Hindu Kush
Why not try a strain named after the place that started it all? Hindu Kush is a potent indica landrace traced back to the mountains that are its namesake. Like a classic Kush, it produces dense buds with a thick coating of resin, one of the reasons it is so popular with people making hash. Hindu Kush has an earthy, sweet aroma that is often compared to that of hashish. It produces a calming, relaxing high that can help you get a great night’s sleep, or just relieve a little stress.
