BARRIO – From Costa Rica to Chile, seizures of Colombian “creepy” marijuana have risen over the past year, but some experts are questioning whether it’s the real thing or just a marketing ploy.

More commonly referred to as “creepy,” for its potency and powerful psychoactive effect, it was the latest in a string of marijuana seizures entering Costa Rica for local consumption.

Other nations have made similar claims that creepy marijuana has been taking gaining market share. Brazilian authorities seized 3.5 tons of what they said was creepy last August on a convoy of ships sailing down the Rio Negro in the Amazon. Larger and more frequent seizures were also reported in Chile.

What’s more, as the demand for the supposedly highly potent weed has shot up, growers have begun to advertise any marijuana they produce or sell as creepy.

“All marijuana coming out of Colombia comes with the name creepy, whether it truly is or not. But if you ask the authorities in other countries how it differs from other marijuana seizures, they are unclear,” said Miguel Tunjano, a public analyst and a former colonel with Colombia’s anti-narcotics police.

“Creepy is not a variety of marijuana. Creepy is a label that encompasses a series of strains with a higher THC percentage; it’s a generic concept,” Luis Felipe Cruz, an investigator at Dejusticia. “No one can say that marijuana is “creepy” without testing the percentage of THC.”

One clear reason to market marijuana as creepy is because of the high price it fetches. In Colombia, a kilogram of creepy sells for approximately 200,000 Colombian pesos (around $42), with the price decreasing for lower quality products, according to Colombian Police sources.

In Ecuador, a kilo of creepy marijuana is up to eight times more expensive than regular marijuana and can fetch upwards of $1,500. Prices are similar in Costa Rica, where a kilo of creepy has a street value of $1,754.

As it radiates out further from Colombia, the price continues to rise. In Brazil, for example, it can reach around $2,800 dollars, according to the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo. A kilogram of creepy could land traffickers nearly $6,000, according to an investigation by Chilean newspaper La Tercera.