Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
COOKIES, chocolates, muffins and even biscuits — these once-innocent snacks — are increasingly finding themselves at the centre of Zimbabwe’s drug abuse crisis.
The authorities warn that drug dealers are disguising marijuana in common treats, with schoolchildren emerging as the biggest target.
But the growing frequency of such cases raises a troubling question: Has this dangerous trend become mainstream?
Last week, 26-year-old Fortune Tendai Kasina of Highfield was sentenced to an effective two-year jail term after admitting to baking and selling ganja-laced cookies.
His co-accused, 20-year-old Leenkan Zvikomborero Muzanechita, is fighting the charges from remand prison.
The case came to light after learners at First Choice College in Harare fell ill from eating the cookies, prompting a police investigation that led to the recovery of 20 drug-laced cookies and baking ingredients from Kasina’s home.
The courts have dealt with similar cases before.
Earlier this year, 36-year-old Norman Chirume of Mufakose was jailed after detectives found 270 marijuana-laced chocolates and other drugs in his possession.
In yet another case, seven people were arrested near Mukuvisi River in Mbare for selling biscuits laced with dagga, alongside BronCleer cough syrup.
What is alarming, experts say, is not only the volume of these cases but the creativity of dealers who continuously adapt — moving from muffins to popcorn, biscuits and chocolates
“Drugs are threatening to tear apart our society,” the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe warned in a recent statement.
The phenomenon is not entirely new.
In 2017, two men in Kadoma were arrested for selling marijuana-laced cupcakes to teenagers.
The following year, two women in Hwange were hospitalised with drug-induced psychosis after consuming muffins spiked with cannabis.
Court records show the muffins had been baked using “cannabutter”, a potent concoction of marijuana leaves and buds.
Parents and teachers are increasingly being urged to be vigilant.
Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi has warned the public to be cautious about snacks sold to children, emphasising that drug dealers are deliberately targeting the youth.
“We are aware that there are some people who have been arrested, including those manufacturing drug-laced chocolates, muffins, cookies and biscuits, which are being sold to minors, thereby affecting mental capacity of learners,” he said.
“Some of these learners are even committing crimes under the influence of such drugs and we will continue taking action against such illicit activities. There is no going back in the fight against drugs and we want to urge the public to continue reporting and the law will take its course without fear or favour.”
Behind these alarming cases lies a broader public health crisis.
The Government has acknowledged the scale of the problem.
Last year, President Mnangagwa launched the Zimbabwe Multi-Sectoral Drug and Substance Abuse Plan (2024-2030), which treats drug abuse as a national emergency requiring action across law enforcement, health, education and community mobilisation.
Yet, despite crackdowns and policy frameworks, the trend seems to be evolving faster than the authorities can contain it.
The accessibility of drug-laced snacks — often sold cheaply to unsuspecting teenagers or even women in communities — underscores the danger of normalisation.
So, the question remains: With drug-laced muffins, cookies and chocolates cropping up everywhere from schools to social spaces, have these dangerous edibles, which used to be on the fringes, now become part of Zimbabwe’s everyday drug culture?
