Turning cocaine into crack is trivial. If you’re a crack user, cocaine is crack. They’re really not different drugs at all.
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From what I understand, traditionally, Cocaine has been the White version of the drug, and Crack was the Black version of the drug. Hence, why Crack has always carried the higher penalty for possession. Legalizing Cocaine and leaving Crack as illegal would be typical of the racism in the legal world.
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“Crack vs Cocaine” is a fascinating distinction that highlights the pointlessness and tragedy of prohibition in general. I’ll shortcut this part and declare that the differences between races’ consumption of crack and cocaine are caused and driven by propaganda and ghettoisation.
They’re different forms of the same drug, as you note. Powder cocaine is the HCL salt and is active via any route of administration except vaporisation. Crack cocaine is the freebase and is only (for all intents and purposes) active when vaporised and smoked. More than with any other drug, converting the salt into the freebase and vice versa is trivial. About as complicated to understand and perform as cooking dried pasta.
Although they are both forms are the same drug and they’re readily convertible, they do play out as very different drugs. I’m an occasional user of both forms.
I would support the legalization of cocaine for recreational use, but I would not want to see cocaine sold as freebase, “ready to smoke”. A comparison might be retailers that can sell you beer and wine, but not spirits.
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I realize that both forms can be (and are) cut to boost mass, but isn’t crack by nature less pure because of the baking soda needed to make it?
Those warnings on packages don’t even discourage smokers… and coke is also physically addictive. I have a neighbor who just died of an overdose after having an overdose a few weeks earlier, surviving and getting help and immediately going back to it.
I don’t think throwing him in jail would have been the answer. Criminalizing it isn’t what I’d wanna see. But making something so dangerous easier to access seems like a bad idea too. It’s not even in the same ballpark as pot or mushrooms. And I’d say worse than alcohol too…that at least usually will make you fall asleep or vomit before you OD.
It’s actually the opposite. Cooking crack “well” with baking soda doesn’t bulk it up because once it’s been converted it’s a waxy substance that separates from other solids and liquids. Converting cocaine HCL into the freebase is actually a very effective way of removing cutting agents (since only the cocaine will convert, leaving the cuts behind).
But when possible and practical, drugs will always be cut, in whatever forms they are sold. The issues here are social, legislative and economic rather than chemical.
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That’s good to know. I will probably never get a chance to try either (Asia is strict), but I guess the stigma around crack really is just a matter of branding.
yes, and no. That’s why it’s so interesting. Stick to HCL if you ever get the chance.
The middle ground is decriminalizing possession, as British Columbia has done, as well as some countries like Portugal.
It’s still not that easy to get hard drugs, and we still bust dealers, but if you’re using and holding, you are not breaking the law and we will treat you as someone in need of healthcare. This approach ideally includes expansion of drug treatment, testing help (there’s a lot of contaminated shit on the street) and mental health support. BC is doing better in some areas and worse in others here, but so far it’s going pretty well.
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Low survival rate of the frequent flyers. Cardiac damage after frequent cocaine use might not get you right away, but it will probably get you within 2-3 decades.
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