Cocaine typically is extracted from coca leaves as cocaine hydrochloride. Removal of the hydrochloride by a number of reactions can produce pure cocaine.
Removal of the hydrochloride can occur by treating the cocaine hydrochloride powder with:
(1) sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
(2) ammonium bicarbonate
(3) ammonium carbonate
(4) other base
Heating a mixture baking soda with cocaine hydrochloride in a spoon over a flame is called "cooking". The heating releases carbon dioxide gas and forms a layer of free base as an oil that can be collected and dried to form "rock".
The removal of the hydrochloride results in "free base" which has different properties from cocaine hydrochloride. It can form a solid "rock". The melting point of cocaine hydrochloride is 190°C vs 90°C for free base forms. The lower melting points makes inhalation abuse of free base possible. Crack cocaine gets its name from the crackling sound made when heating the "rock" for inhalation abuse.
Free base cocaine can be abused by noninhalation routes.
Free base forms of cocaine may be purer than cocaine hydrochloride, but all forms of street cocaine may be adulterated.
Free base forms can result in very high blood concentrations of cocaine and is associated with extreme highs followed by "lows" (depression and physical depletion). It is also highly addictive.
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