Crack cocaine

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A pile of crack cocaine ‘rocks’.

Crack cocaine is a solid, smokable form of cocaine. It is a freebase form of cocaine that is made using baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in a process to convert cocaine hydrochloride (powder cocaine) into methylbenzoylecgonine (freebase cocaine).

[edit] Chemistry

Crack cocaine, often nicknamed "crack" after the sound made during its manufacture, was created and made popular during the 1980s^{[citation needed]}. Because of the dangers for manufacturers of using ether to produce pure freebase cocaine, producers began to omit the step of removing the freebase precipitate from the ammonia mixture. Typically, filtration processes are also omitted. The end result is that the cut, in addition to the ammonium salt (NH₄Cl), remains in the freebase cocaine after the mixture has evaporated. The “rock” that is thus formed also contains a small amount of water.

A spoon with a mixture of baking soda, cocaine and a small amount of water, when heated from below, small crack cocaine ‘rocks’ will begin to form in the mixture.

Baking soda is now most often used as a base rather than ammonia for reasons of lowered odor and toxicity; however, any weak base can be used to make crack cocaine. When commonly "cooked" the ratio is 3:4 parts cocaine per bicarbonate. This acts as a filler which extends the overall profitability of illicit sales. Crack cocaine may be reprocessed in small quantities with water (users refer to the resultant product as "cookback"). This removes the residual bicarbonate, and any adulterants or cuts that have been used in the previous handling of the cocaine and leaves a relatively pure, anhydrous cocaine base. The net reaction when using sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃, common baking soda) is:

Crack cocaine when processed correctly, may contain almost 75% of the original cocaine alkaloid as it did before being what is called on the streets as buffed^{[citation needed]}. Buffing cocaine is the process of adding different substances usually chemicals closely related to the original alkaloid in attempts of increasing the yield of the product. Most forms of additives can be easily boiled off in while cooking, i.e baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), Inositol (vitamin b8) and even forms of baby laxatives (that have been used to add additional weight to the cocaine).

Crack cocaine is usually purchased in rock form already, although it is not uncommon for some users to rather "cook" the cocaine into crack themselves. This process is done with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), water, and a spoon. Once mixed and heated the bicarbonate breaks down into carbon dioxide and sodium carbonate, which then reacts with the hydrochloride from the cocaine molecule, leaving cocaine as a oily free base. Once separated from the hydrochloride the cocaine alkaloid floats to the top of the now leftover liquid. It is at this point that the oil is picked rapidly, usually with a pin or long thin object. This pulls the oil up and spins it, allowing air to set and dry the oil, and allows the user and or maker to roll the oil into the rock like shape. Unlike cocaine hydrochloride, "crack cocaine" when smoked allows for a quicker absorption into the blood stream, coupled with the fact that "crack" is considered more potent than cocaine hydrochloride, users obtain an intense high a lot quicker than the normal method of inhaling it. Health risks appear to be almost the same in either method, smoking or inhalation although, long term studies have shown that long-term snorting of cocaine in powder form can after extensive use, destroy tissues in the nasal cavity, and has been known to create deviated septa.

[edit] Psychological effects

Cocaine is a substance that affects the brain chemistry of the user. Its main effect is to release a large amount of dopamine, a brain chemical inducing feelings of euphoria. In addition, smoking freebase cocaine releases methylecgonidine into one's body, something which insufflating or injecting powder cocaine does not do. Methylecgonidine is a methylated form of cocaine in much the same way that methamphetamine is a methylated form of amphetamine. The high usually lasts around 15 minutes, after which time dopamine levels in the brain plummet, leaving the user feeling depressed and low. A typical response among users is to have another hit of the drug; however, the levels of dopamine in the brain take a long time to replenish themselves, and each hit taken in rapid succession leads to increasingly less intense highs. It is the intense desire to recapture the initial high that is so addictive for many users. When ingested into the bloodstream, the substance releases a much stronger effect of euphoria. In a male, it can be very dangerous and is known to produce an erection that doesn't go away until the high is gone, which in many cases, can last days.^[1]

[edit] Health issues

When large amounts of dopamine are released by crack consumption, it becomes easier for the brain to generate motivation for other activities. The activity also releases a large amount of adrenaline into the body, which tends to increase heart rate and blood pressure, leading to long-term cardiovascular problems. It is suggested by research that smoking crack or freebase cocaine has additional health issues beyond other methods of taking cocaine. Many of these issues relate specifically to the release of methylecgonidine, and the specific effect of methylecgonidine on the heart,^[2] lungs,^[3] and liver.^[4]

As noted previously, virtually any substance may have been added in order to expand the volume of a batch. Occasionally, highly toxic substances are used, with an indefinite range of corresponding short- and long-term health risks.

The task of introducing the drug into the body further presents a series of health risks. Crack can not be snorted like regular cocaine, so smoking is the most common consumption method. Crack has a melting point of around 90 °C (194 °F), and the smoke does not remain potent for long. Therefore, crack pipes are generally very short, to minimise the time between evaporating and losing strength. This often causes cracked and blistered lips, colloquially "crack lip", from having a very hot pipe pressed against the lips. The use of "convenience store crack pipes" - glass tubes which originally contained small artificial roses - may also create this condition. These pipes are not durable and will quickly develop breaks; users will typically continue to use the pipe until it is only about 1/3 of its original length.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Legal status

Crack cocaine is listed as a Schedule I drug in the United Nations 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, making it illegal for non-state-sanctioned production, manufacture, export, import, distribution, trade, use and possession.^{[5] [6]}

In the United States cocaine is a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act since it has high abuse potential but also carries a medicinal purpose.^[7] Under the DEA listing of schedule I substances, crack is not considered separate from cocaine since they are essentially the same drug compound in different forms. In the United Kingdom it is a Class A drug. In the Netherlands it is a List 1 drug of the Opium Law. In Iran, the term crack refers to heroin rather than crack cocaine and is a major problem in healthcare^{[citation needed]}.

Law enforcement running drug stings to catch purchasers of crack cocaine often use macadamia nuts to simulate the drug.^[8] When chopped, these nuts resemble crack cocaine in color.

There has been some controversy over the disproportionate mandatory sentences for crack cocaine under U.S. law since 1987. Whereas it is a 5-year minimum sentence for trafficking 500g of powdered cocaine, the same sentence can be imposed for mere possession of 5 grams of crack cocaine, a 100:1 ratio. There is no mandatory minimum sentence for mere possession of powder cocaine. ^[9] The United States Sentencing Commission has recommended that this disparity be rectified and existing sentences reduced. ^[10] Some claim that this disparity amounts to institutional racism, as crack cocaine is more common in inner-city black communities, and powder cocaine in white suburban communities. ^{[11] [12]}

[edit] Effects in pregnancy and nursing

"Crack baby" is a pejorative term for a child born to a mother who used crack cocaine during her pregnancy. There remains some dispute as to whether cocaine use during pregnancy poses a genuine threat to the fetus. The official opinion of the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the United States warns about health risks while cautioning against stereotyping:

Many recall that “crack babies,” or babies born to mothers who used crack cocaine while pregnant, were at one time written off by many as a lost generation. They were predicted to suffer from severe, irreversible damage, including reduced intelligence and social skills. It was later found that this was a gross exaggeration. However, the fact that most of these children appear normal should not be overinterpreted as indicating that there is no cause for concern. Using sophisticated technologies, scientists are now finding that exposure to cocaine during fetal development may lead to subtle, yet significant, later deficits in some children, including deficits in some aspects of cognitive performance, information-processing, and attention to tasks—abilities that are important for success in school.^[13]

They also warn about the threat of breastfeeding: "It is likely that cocaine will reach the baby through breast milk." The March of Dimes advises the following regarding cocaine use during pregnancy:

"Cocaine use during pregnancy can affect a pregnant woman and her unborn baby in many ways. During the early months of pregnancy, it may increase the risk of miscarriage. Later in pregnancy, it can trigger preterm labor (labor that occurs before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or cause the baby to grow poorly. As a result, cocaine-exposed babies are more likely than unexposed babies to be born with low birthweight (less than 5½ pounds). Low-birthweight babies are 20 times more likely to die in their first month of life than normal-weight babies, and face an increased risk of lifelong disabilities such as mental retardation and cerebral palsy. Cocaine-exposed babies also tend to have smaller heads, which generally reflect smaller brains. Some studies suggest that cocaine-exposed babies are at increased risk of birth defects, including urinary-tract defects and, possibly, heart defects. Cocaine also may cause an unborn baby to have a stroke, irreversible brain damage, or a heart attack.

[edit] See also

• War on Drugs
• Drug abuse
• Crack epidemic
• CIA and Contras cocaine trafficking in the US

[edit] References

1. ^ Crack Cocaine
2. ^ Scheidweiler KB, Plessinger MA, Shojaie J, Wood RW, Kwong TC (2003). "Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of methylecgonidine, a crack cocaine pyrolyzate". J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 307 (3): 1179–87. doi:10.1124/jpet.103.055434. PMID 14561847. 
3. ^ Yang Y, Ke Q, Cai J, Xiao YF, Morgan JP (2001). "Evidence for cocaine and methylecgonidine stimulation of M(2) muscarinic receptors in cultured human embryonic lung cells". Br. J. Pharmacol. 132 (2): 451–60. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0703819. PMID 11159694. 
4. ^ Fandiño AS, Toennes SW, Kauert GF (2002). "Studies on hydrolytic and oxidative metabolic pathways of anhydroecgonine methyl ester (methylecgonidine) using microsomal preparations from rat organs". Chem. Res. Toxicol. 15 (12): 1543–8. doi:10.1021/tx0255828. PMID 12482236. 
5. ^ Cocaine and Crack. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Retrieved on 2008-05-01.
6. ^ Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961. International Narcotics Control Board. Retrieved on 2008-05-01.
7. ^ 21 U.S.C. § 812(b)(2) Retrieved on 2008-05-01.
8. ^ "Nuts! Cops use holiday treat in drug sting", Chicago Sun Times, December 24, 2004. Accessed 21 November 2007.
9. ^ Sabet, Kevin A. Making it Happen: The Case for Compromise in the Federal Cocaine Law Debate
10. ^ News Release - U.S. Sentencing Commission Votes To Amend Guidelines For Terrorism, Firearms, And Steroids
11. ^ Lynn Eberhardt, Jennifer; Fiske, Susan T. (1998). Confronting racism: the problem and the response. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications. ISBN 0-7619-0368-2. 
12. ^ Angeli, David H. (1997). "A "Second Look" at Crack Cocaine Sentencing Policies: One More Try for Federal Equal Protection". American Criminal Law Review 34. 
13. ^ NIDA - Research Report Series - Cocaine Abuse and Addiction

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/cocaine.html

[edit] External links

• Frank Parlato's interview with two 19-year old crack dealers
• (US)Why is crack cocaine so hard to stop using?
• Crackpot Ideas - July/August 1995 issue of Mother Jones.
• Top Medical Doctors and Scientists Urge Major Media Outlets to Stop Perpetuating "Crack Baby" Myth - a petition.
• US:The Myth of the 'Crack Baby'
• The rising peril of crack cocaine (UK)
• Effects of methylecgonidine on heart rate

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