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Published: 6/27/2022 | Last Updated: 7/21/2023
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How to cook crack cocaine is a topic that only a select few care about. But for the average coke head with a stash of powder they want to turn to rock, the question can be an important one.
Even more important to think about: why am I chasing a coke high into the need for crack?
Keep reading to find out details about the crack production process and why you may want to avoid cooking cocaine in your kitchen!
(Crack Rock – The End Product Of Cooking Crack)
Simply put, crack cocaine is the solid, rock-like form taken when cocaine bicarbonate is made. Although there are other methods, most often, this drug is made by adding sodium bicarbonate (also known as baking soda) to cocaine hydrochloride powder.
The difference between street cocaine, freebase cocaine, and crack rocks are mainly seen in additives and processing once the drug leaves South America. The process of cooking crack is done by adding baking soda and heat to cocaine powder. Freebase cocaine is usually considered the result of using ammonia or ether to separate cocaine from its base without the use of baking soda.
There are two very different reasons that cocaine is cooked into crack. For drug dealers, the motivation is largely mathematic: they can make more profit from the rocks than powder.
In fact, many dealers have passed along their own recipes for turning powder cocaine into crack cocaine. In some cases, these recipes have been around since the 1980s. For those with a drug business, the solution to increasing profits is found by ‘rocking up’ their cocaine powder to make more money. This is what is referred to when rappers and others reference being in the ‘kitchen with soda.’
For those struggling with a crack addiction, it is a bit of a different matter. Turning cocaine powder into crack or freebase cocaine is more about the effect. In short: turning your cocaine into crack allows it to be smoked much more readily, delivering a powerful and intense high. Unfortunately, chasing this form of cocaine high can (and likely will) lead you to some very dark places.
The main differences between crack and powder cocaine stem from the chemical composition. The rock-like form of cocaine is designed to be smoked. This can be done either in a dedicated ‘crack pipe’ or by using a variety of jury-rigged contraptions such as a can or bottle. Although with preparation it can also be injected, smoking is by far the preferred route of administration for crack cocaine. Even small amounts of the drug can produce a powerful high when smoked.
Powder cocaine, while derived from the same coca plant, is the hydrochloric acid-based substance most often snorted (used intranasally) as a method of ingestion. While both may start their production with a coca plant in South America, relevant differences quickly emerge.
Smoking crack cocaine is much more likely to damage your lungs and may more rapidly lead to cocaine addiction. Powder cocaine causes similar effects on our bodies yet differs in keyways including:
The process of cooking crack begins with cocaine in its powdered form. To cook crack, an individual will mix the powdered cocaine with sodium bicarbonate more commonly known as known as baking soda. The cocaine and baking soda solution is then boiled and reduced until it forms a solid mass (crack). This solid mass of crack is then broken down into smaller portions to create consumable crack rocks. In most cases, these rocks are smoked using a crack pipe.
The reasons not to cook crack cocaine are pretty apparent. Beyond crack cocaine raising your blood pressure, there is the very real risk of a heart attack. Even if you’re not using ether to truly ‘free the base’ like Richard Pryor, you could still end up causing damage to yourself and your cooking area.
We will review the dangers of preparing and using ‘base cocaine’ later, but a basic recipe is easy to find on the web. Start with a small amount of good coke and add it to water. The speed at which it dissolves is an indicator of quality (the more rapidly and fully, the higher the purity).
The whole process does not take long whether the solution is prepared in a spoon, a vial, or even a shot glass. Add a ration of several parts of cocaine to baking soda (not baking powder) and even the smallest degree of heat or flame.
The crack cocaine, ‘base,’ will float to the top and form the final product while the adulterants dissolve or slowly float down. A lighter or torch is then used to smoke the resulting ‘rocks’ of the drug.
You may notice we did not give an exact formula. There are other websites and services which can do this for you. Our resources are centered on helping you look at why you might not be satisfied with even strong cocaine and how to get help for the underlying causes of this intense craving for more.
Continue reading on to learn about the risks and reasons to avoid using this incredibly addictive form of smoked cocaine.
(Man Smoking Cocaine)
Okay, so you don’t worry about your blood pressure or even about possibly having a heart attack. You are in it for the personal experience to get that intense high.
What you may not realize is that what goes up must come down, and that crash will be hard. A drug that is smoked will inevitably have a faster onset and greater addictive potential. Although the process of cooking crack might be relatively simple, getting successful treatment and achieving clean time can be tough.
In other words, if you are thinking of smoking crack to get the effectiveness of a short and fast high, realize that it will come with severe and lasting consequences. Those in recovery can confirm that crack kills and in ways that are not pretty. Smoking crack comes with a host of consequences users pay beyond the price of the drug itself.
If you are already developing a crack addiction, you know the many ways in which it can cost you; financially, your health, and even your freedom or life itself.
Find treatment services nationwide with the help of Rehabs Of Armerica. Unlike other treatment sites, our services are staffed entirely in-house. With a team of dedicated recovery representatives, we are available any time of day or night to help you stop, for good.
Put the pipe down and give yourself a huge feeling of relief by picking up the phone instead. The time to worry about getting high from rock or cocaine is over. You know that it will stop working just as the powder did. Think about living a new life that is free from cravings.
A relatively short stay in a treatment center, often covered completely by insurance, really can free you of the need to pursue this damaging and dangerous form of drugs.
(Man With Phone Holding Powdered Cocaine)
Although cocaine does not come with the same physical withdrawal symptoms as opiates or alcohol, it can be equally difficult to endure. For the very same reasons that cocaine causes mood elevation and euphoria, crack can cause severe depressive symptoms. Cocaine and crack can bring you to emotional highs that are followed by some very dark depths.
Rehab for coke and crack provides a safe environment, where you can feel safe and welcome as you adjust to a new way of living. The process of going to rehab for crack can be a completely life-changing experience. You can put aside the problems of chasing down coke and cooking crack and all the worries that come along with it.
With a brief stay at inpatient rehab, you can find the sober support network and skills needed to have lasting change in your life. Whether it’s 30 days or even longer, the period of time spent in treatment will be the foundation for a new and better approach to life.
Give yourself a break and call our recovery representatives to discuss whether this makes sense for you. All calls are completely confidential and come with no obligations – a discussion that can leave you feeling a natural high in your new direction in life!
If you are not ready to stop using cocaine, we understand. The cycle of addiction and dependence can be hard to break. Please, bookmark this page on your browser or provide a method so that you can come back and return when you are ready for help. At Rehabs Of Armerica, our site prides itself on being a single source for all addiction (and recovery!) related resources.
Other companies may offer limited options, but our team prides itself on helping each and every caller to the best of our abilities. Turn a new chapter in your life with the help of people who have been down the same path.
Reach out now for help with crack or drug use of any kind and get treatment options near you. Seize the opportunity to start on a new path for yourself and call now!
Crack generally comes in the form of a solid rock. Crack rocks can be white, off white, and sometimes have a slight yellow tint. The size and shape of crack will vary depending on how it is produced.
Crack cocaine is significantly more widespread because it produces an even more intense and rapid high than cocaine. Crack sales are also conducted more visibly in many places, with lower costs per unit and open air drug market sales common in some cities.
Aside from this, when it comes to the illegal drug manufacturing and distribution industry, crack cocaine can turn significantly higher profits when compared to regular cocaine. This is primarily because the substance is cheaper to produce.
Addiction to crack cocaine can lead to various symptoms, including mental health problems, depression, and anxiety. In some cases, users may experience paranoia or psychosis, as well as hallucinations.
Because crack cocaine is somewhat more addictive than regular cocaine, all of the dangers of that drug are essentially increased exponentially.
The ingredients used to make crack cocaine are highly flammable and volatile, making it possible for the mixture to explode.
Chemicals used in manufacturing are also extraordinarily caustic and can cause severe burns if they come into contact with the skin. This is also a crime, and there are legal consequences, including jail time.
Rehabilitation for crack cocaine addiction is effective. Like all addictions, it takes time and effort to recover from crack cocaine addiction.
But there is no reason why an individual with a crack cocaine addiction cannot recover and lead a happy, healthy life in recovery. Rehabs Of Armerica can assist in making this happen.
Sources:
National Drug Intelligence Center – Crack Cocaine Fast Facts
University Of Rochester Medical Center – Understanding Cocaine & Crack
National Library Of Medicine – A Severe Complication Of Crack Cocaine Use
Eric R. hails from Maine and does extensive work in the field of behavioral health as both a professional writer and passionate advocate for those suffering. From his own personal encounters with mental illness, he speaks to those seeking healthy relief from depression and anxiety and embraces wellness both personally and professionally. After losing friends and family to the darkness of suicide, Eric aims to educate and inform about the nature of treatment and render it accessible for all those seeking a way out of darkness and despair.
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