Question

Explain the different preparations of cocaine and how they are used.

Answer 1

Cocaine Preparations -Coca leaves --> Coca Paste (60% pure): Not water soluble, so you can't inject it into the bloodstream -- you need an additional chemical step to turn the paste into crystal powder that can be injected or snorted -Coca --> Cocaine Hydrochloride (99% pure): Doesn't hold up very well to heat, so you can't smoke cocaine hydrochloride -Cocaine Hydrochloride (99% pure) --> Free-Base Cocaine or Crack Cocaine: -Reconvert cocaine hydrochloride back to base state by removing hydrochloride from cocaine (that's why it's called free-base cocaine) -Crack cocaine is a crystallized form, mixture of cocaine and baking soda -75% pure -Can be used at lower doses and is much cheaper than cocaine -Can be smoked