Sadistikal87
Member
I recently read through allot of posts under the thread "Tell me about coke" by Jimmy 130380. It seems to me that there are allot of misconceptions about the drug amongst the community so i threw a little something together to try and enlighten those less educated about the drug...
Cocaine is an alkaloid extracted from the coca plant.
Coca grows in south America in the mountainous Andean region. Primarily in the countries of Bolivia, Peru, and Columbia.
Ancient indigenous people of these regions relied heavily upon the coca leaves for an increase in stamina and energy, also in times of food scarcity it was used as an appetite suppressant. Spaniards enslaved many of these indigenous people to work as miners at which time they exploited the uses of the coca plant to increase their slaves production and time they could spend working. In high elevation regions fatigue was a common problem due to lack of oxygen in the blood stream, coca could curb this problem resulting in a prolonged ability to transverse the harsh terrain.
Coca was also popular in several tribe's religious practices. It was thought to aid in achieving meditative or trance like states and was a common staple of their communion. Incan holy-men chewed the leaves as they believed it assisted their ability to prophesize. It was also used to improve memory, a very important asset to early Incans as they have not developed a system of writing so tradition and practices were handed down to new generations by word of mouth. This held true for other ancient cultures of the Andean region as well. The plant lacked popularity and was shunned by many Europeans as they were skeptical of its presumed qualities. This was primarily due to the plants inability to survive the long trek to Europe rendering the plants effectiveness non-existent.
In 1859 at Goettingen university in Germany a man named Albert Niemann was able to isolate the alkaloid that caused the effects and dubbed it "Cocaine". This would lead to years of further interest and research amongst the scientific and medical community.
(Albert Niemann)
A man named Sigmund Freud began to researh the potential of cocaine to be used as a therapeutic treatment. He used it on himself as well as his patients and raved of its uses in several of his publications. This sparked a research phase by many doctors and scientists some of which started reporting complications such as psychoses, convulsions, and death.
(Sigmund Freud)
Inspired by Freud's findings, his friend Dr. Karl Koller began experimentation in different medical applications. Koller was the first to use cocaine as a local anesthetic for eye surgery. Due to sensitivity and involuntary movements of the eye, surgery was considered nearly impossible until the numbing effects of cocaine were used. This led to other uses in other medical procedures primarily dealing with the nose and throat as not only for an anesthetic, but for it's ability to limit bleeding because it constricts blood vessels. Eventually cocaine would leave the confines of the medical field and find it's way into everyday life.
(Karl Koller)
In the late 1800s cocaine could be found in many tonics and heath serums. As well as purchased in a kit found at drugstores that included a specified amount of cocaine, a razor, and a syringe. In 1891 the concoction of cocaine, coca leaves, and extracts of the Kola nut was presented to the masses. The popular new drink called "Coca-Cola" was widely used. In 1904 however the cocaine in many products was replaced by a new substance known as Caffeine due mostly to the growing pressure of the government. Two years later The U.S enacted the "Pure food and drug laws" This caused a withdraw of cocain out of most products and medicines. Cocaine was later made illegal in the U.S by the passing of the "Harrison narcotics act of 1914". After which possession of the drug would result in jail time and or a fine. People began to be deterred from its use.
(Coca-cola Then and now)
That is until the drug wave of the 1970's in the U.S. Miami Florida became the gateway to a flood of cocaine into the U.S. Due to a weak boarder patrol practice between Columbia and Florida, the trafficking of cocaine was fairly simple. Studies conducted at the time showed that in 1974 5.4 million Americans tried cocaine. By 1979 cocaine usage peaked and was thought of as a recreational drug believed to be harmless by many people. Importantly, one person who shared this view was drug adviser/special assistant for heath issues to Jimmy Carter, Dr. Peter Bourne. Dr. Bourne stated "cocaine...is probably the most benign of illicit drugs currently in widespread use....At least as strong a case could be made for legalizing it as for legalizing marijuana...short acting...not physically addicting, and acutely pleasurable, cocaine has found increasing favor at all socioeconomic levels.".
During the early 1980's studies showed that 22.2 million Americans have tried cocaine, that's nearly four times the amount in 1974. The dangers of cocaine became more widely known and accepted and due to the ever growing trend of usage and evolution of crack-cocaine The U.S governments "war on drugs" was fueled.
Long term cocaine effects are noticeable as cocaine use continues and tolerance builds. Since cocaine is a highly addictive drug, it can lead to major medical complications and health problems.
Long term effects include....
History of Cocaine
Cocaine is an alkaloid extracted from the coca plant.
Coca grows in south America in the mountainous Andean region. Primarily in the countries of Bolivia, Peru, and Columbia.
Ancient indigenous people of these regions relied heavily upon the coca leaves for an increase in stamina and energy, also in times of food scarcity it was used as an appetite suppressant. Spaniards enslaved many of these indigenous people to work as miners at which time they exploited the uses of the coca plant to increase their slaves production and time they could spend working. In high elevation regions fatigue was a common problem due to lack of oxygen in the blood stream, coca could curb this problem resulting in a prolonged ability to transverse the harsh terrain.
Coca was also popular in several tribe's religious practices. It was thought to aid in achieving meditative or trance like states and was a common staple of their communion. Incan holy-men chewed the leaves as they believed it assisted their ability to prophesize. It was also used to improve memory, a very important asset to early Incans as they have not developed a system of writing so tradition and practices were handed down to new generations by word of mouth. This held true for other ancient cultures of the Andean region as well. The plant lacked popularity and was shunned by many Europeans as they were skeptical of its presumed qualities. This was primarily due to the plants inability to survive the long trek to Europe rendering the plants effectiveness non-existent.
In 1859 at Goettingen university in Germany a man named Albert Niemann was able to isolate the alkaloid that caused the effects and dubbed it "Cocaine". This would lead to years of further interest and research amongst the scientific and medical community.
(Albert Niemann)
A man named Sigmund Freud began to researh the potential of cocaine to be used as a therapeutic treatment. He used it on himself as well as his patients and raved of its uses in several of his publications. This sparked a research phase by many doctors and scientists some of which started reporting complications such as psychoses, convulsions, and death.
(Sigmund Freud)
Inspired by Freud's findings, his friend Dr. Karl Koller began experimentation in different medical applications. Koller was the first to use cocaine as a local anesthetic for eye surgery. Due to sensitivity and involuntary movements of the eye, surgery was considered nearly impossible until the numbing effects of cocaine were used. This led to other uses in other medical procedures primarily dealing with the nose and throat as not only for an anesthetic, but for it's ability to limit bleeding because it constricts blood vessels. Eventually cocaine would leave the confines of the medical field and find it's way into everyday life.
(Karl Koller)
In the late 1800s cocaine could be found in many tonics and heath serums. As well as purchased in a kit found at drugstores that included a specified amount of cocaine, a razor, and a syringe. In 1891 the concoction of cocaine, coca leaves, and extracts of the Kola nut was presented to the masses. The popular new drink called "Coca-Cola" was widely used. In 1904 however the cocaine in many products was replaced by a new substance known as Caffeine due mostly to the growing pressure of the government. Two years later The U.S enacted the "Pure food and drug laws" This caused a withdraw of cocain out of most products and medicines. Cocaine was later made illegal in the U.S by the passing of the "Harrison narcotics act of 1914". After which possession of the drug would result in jail time and or a fine. People began to be deterred from its use.
(Coca-cola Then and now)
That is until the drug wave of the 1970's in the U.S. Miami Florida became the gateway to a flood of cocaine into the U.S. Due to a weak boarder patrol practice between Columbia and Florida, the trafficking of cocaine was fairly simple. Studies conducted at the time showed that in 1974 5.4 million Americans tried cocaine. By 1979 cocaine usage peaked and was thought of as a recreational drug believed to be harmless by many people. Importantly, one person who shared this view was drug adviser/special assistant for heath issues to Jimmy Carter, Dr. Peter Bourne. Dr. Bourne stated "cocaine...is probably the most benign of illicit drugs currently in widespread use....At least as strong a case could be made for legalizing it as for legalizing marijuana...short acting...not physically addicting, and acutely pleasurable, cocaine has found increasing favor at all socioeconomic levels.".
During the early 1980's studies showed that 22.2 million Americans have tried cocaine, that's nearly four times the amount in 1974. The dangers of cocaine became more widely known and accepted and due to the ever growing trend of usage and evolution of crack-cocaine The U.S governments "war on drugs" was fueled.
Composition of cocaine
Mental and physical effects
Short-term cocaine effects are noticeable immediately and although they are not always damaging, there are some cases they have caused serious bodily damage and death. Deaths related to cocaine effects are typically a result of cardiac arrest, seizures, or respiratory failure.Coca Leaves to Coca Paste
The conversion of coca leaf into coca paste is accomplished in a coca paste pit, or "pozo. " A typical coca paste pit is a very crude structure located near the harvesting site and consists of only a very few items. Some paste pits have even been reported in peasants' houses. The paste pit is usually a hole in the ground, lined with thick, heavy plastic, or may even be a 55-gallon drum with the top cut out. Paste pits are often located near streams so that the processors will have a constant supply of fresh water, which is used in the first stage of processing. The process of converting leaves to paste usually takes a few days. Often, however, the leaves will be "worked" or "stomped" for only a few hours rendering less paste than if "worked" for several days. It is apparently sometimes more desirable to move the paste out than to get more paste per kilogram of coca leaf. Depending on the size of the pit and the amount of leaf, the whole process will require the energy of two to five workers.
The following recipe for coca paste is but one of many. Recipes will differ depending on where the laboratory is located. Some will opt not to use water in the first step and amounts and mixing times vary widely. However, this remains a good benchmark formula.
Step 1
The coca leaves are put in an above-ground container or in a plastic lined pit. An alkaline material (sodium carbonate) and water are added to the leaves. Here the alkaline material enables the cocaine alkaloid present in the leaf to be extracted into kerosene.
Step 2
A water immiscible solvent (kerosene) is added to water, solution, and leaves. The mixture is then agitated. Usually this is accomplished by having several people stomp on the leaves. The solvent acts to extract water insoluble cocaine alkaloids from the alkaline solution.
Step 3
Cocaine alkaloids and kerosene separate from water and leaves. The water and leaves are then drained off.
Step 4
Cocaine alkaloids are extracted from the kerosene into a dilute acid solution. Alkaline material (sodium carbonate) is added to the remaining solution which causes a precipitate to form . The acid and the water are drained off and the precipitate is filtered and dried to produce coca paste, a chunky, off-white to light brown, putty-like substance.
Coca Paste to Cocaine Base
The processing of coca paste into cocaine base is more complicated than paste production, requiring more sophisticated equipment and added skills. Cocaine base can be processed at the paste facility, but base laboratories may be located away from the cultivation zones. Usually the base laboratories are located near rivers or have a clandestine airstrip located in the vicinity to facilitate both the movement of coca paste into the base laboratory, but also the movement of cocaine base to cocaine HCl laboratories.
As with the paste recipes, the base recipes have many versions. This one is one of the more common and a continuation of the paste recipe.
Step 1
The coca paste is added to sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid and water. The paste is dissolved into the acid solution.
Step 2
Potassium permanganate is combined with water. This mixture is added to the coca paste and acid solution. Potassium permanganate is used in this step to extract other alkaloids and material that is undesired in the final product.
In particular, potassium permanganate is used to break down the alkaloid ciscinnamoylcocaine found in large concentrations in E. novogranatense varieties. If the coca paste has a high concentration of this alkaloid and potassium permanganate is not used, then crystallization of cocaine HCl will be very difficult.
Step 3
This mixture is allowed to stand for about six hours.
Step 4
The solution is filtered and the precipitate is discarded. Ammonia water is added to the filtered solution and another precipitate is formed.
Step 5
The liquid is drained from the solution and the remaining precipitate is usually dried with heating lamps. The resulting powder is cocaine base.
It is common in Colombia to skip the base stage of cocaine processing and go right from coca paste to cocaine HCl. This can be accomplished by eliminating the last part of step number four in coca paste processing and skipping to step number two of the cocaine base phase where the coca paste is added to the potassium permanganate solution.
Cocaine Base to Cocaine Hydrochloride (HCl)
The final stage of cocaine processing requires even more skill and equipment, and is much more dangerous than the previously mentioned steps. Unlike paste and base processing, cocaine HCl processing calls for expensive chemicals that are harder to find and often not manufactured in the processing country.
The HCl laboratory usually consists of several buildings including dormitories, eating facilities, an office, storage facilities, and the laboratory itself. Also usually found at HCl laboratories are communications operations, generators, filtering and drying equipment, and, more recently, chemical recycling facilities. The HCl laboratory will sometimes have direct access to an airstrip.
The following recipe is a continuation of the above two. At this point the methods of processing vary only slightly.
Step 1
Acetone or ether is added to dissolve the cocaine base and the solution is filtered to remove undesired material.
Step 2
Hydrochloric acid diluted in acetone or ether is added to the cocaine solution. The addition of the hydrochloric acid causes the cocaine to precipitate (crystallize) out of the solution as cocaine hydrochloride.
Step 3
The remaining acetone/ether solvent can be discarded or reused.
Step 4
Cocaine HCl is dried under heat lamps, laid out to dry with the aid of fans, or dried in microwave ovens.
The conversion of coca leaf into coca paste is accomplished in a coca paste pit, or "pozo. " A typical coca paste pit is a very crude structure located near the harvesting site and consists of only a very few items. Some paste pits have even been reported in peasants' houses. The paste pit is usually a hole in the ground, lined with thick, heavy plastic, or may even be a 55-gallon drum with the top cut out. Paste pits are often located near streams so that the processors will have a constant supply of fresh water, which is used in the first stage of processing. The process of converting leaves to paste usually takes a few days. Often, however, the leaves will be "worked" or "stomped" for only a few hours rendering less paste than if "worked" for several days. It is apparently sometimes more desirable to move the paste out than to get more paste per kilogram of coca leaf. Depending on the size of the pit and the amount of leaf, the whole process will require the energy of two to five workers.
The following recipe for coca paste is but one of many. Recipes will differ depending on where the laboratory is located. Some will opt not to use water in the first step and amounts and mixing times vary widely. However, this remains a good benchmark formula.
Step 1
The coca leaves are put in an above-ground container or in a plastic lined pit. An alkaline material (sodium carbonate) and water are added to the leaves. Here the alkaline material enables the cocaine alkaloid present in the leaf to be extracted into kerosene.
Step 2
A water immiscible solvent (kerosene) is added to water, solution, and leaves. The mixture is then agitated. Usually this is accomplished by having several people stomp on the leaves. The solvent acts to extract water insoluble cocaine alkaloids from the alkaline solution.
Step 3
Cocaine alkaloids and kerosene separate from water and leaves. The water and leaves are then drained off.
Step 4
Cocaine alkaloids are extracted from the kerosene into a dilute acid solution. Alkaline material (sodium carbonate) is added to the remaining solution which causes a precipitate to form . The acid and the water are drained off and the precipitate is filtered and dried to produce coca paste, a chunky, off-white to light brown, putty-like substance.
Coca Paste to Cocaine Base
The processing of coca paste into cocaine base is more complicated than paste production, requiring more sophisticated equipment and added skills. Cocaine base can be processed at the paste facility, but base laboratories may be located away from the cultivation zones. Usually the base laboratories are located near rivers or have a clandestine airstrip located in the vicinity to facilitate both the movement of coca paste into the base laboratory, but also the movement of cocaine base to cocaine HCl laboratories.
As with the paste recipes, the base recipes have many versions. This one is one of the more common and a continuation of the paste recipe.
Step 1
The coca paste is added to sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid and water. The paste is dissolved into the acid solution.
Step 2
Potassium permanganate is combined with water. This mixture is added to the coca paste and acid solution. Potassium permanganate is used in this step to extract other alkaloids and material that is undesired in the final product.
In particular, potassium permanganate is used to break down the alkaloid ciscinnamoylcocaine found in large concentrations in E. novogranatense varieties. If the coca paste has a high concentration of this alkaloid and potassium permanganate is not used, then crystallization of cocaine HCl will be very difficult.
Step 3
This mixture is allowed to stand for about six hours.
Step 4
The solution is filtered and the precipitate is discarded. Ammonia water is added to the filtered solution and another precipitate is formed.
Step 5
The liquid is drained from the solution and the remaining precipitate is usually dried with heating lamps. The resulting powder is cocaine base.
It is common in Colombia to skip the base stage of cocaine processing and go right from coca paste to cocaine HCl. This can be accomplished by eliminating the last part of step number four in coca paste processing and skipping to step number two of the cocaine base phase where the coca paste is added to the potassium permanganate solution.
Cocaine Base to Cocaine Hydrochloride (HCl)
The final stage of cocaine processing requires even more skill and equipment, and is much more dangerous than the previously mentioned steps. Unlike paste and base processing, cocaine HCl processing calls for expensive chemicals that are harder to find and often not manufactured in the processing country.
The HCl laboratory usually consists of several buildings including dormitories, eating facilities, an office, storage facilities, and the laboratory itself. Also usually found at HCl laboratories are communications operations, generators, filtering and drying equipment, and, more recently, chemical recycling facilities. The HCl laboratory will sometimes have direct access to an airstrip.
The following recipe is a continuation of the above two. At this point the methods of processing vary only slightly.
Step 1
Acetone or ether is added to dissolve the cocaine base and the solution is filtered to remove undesired material.
Step 2
Hydrochloric acid diluted in acetone or ether is added to the cocaine solution. The addition of the hydrochloric acid causes the cocaine to precipitate (crystallize) out of the solution as cocaine hydrochloride.
Step 3
The remaining acetone/ether solvent can be discarded or reused.
Step 4
Cocaine HCl is dried under heat lamps, laid out to dry with the aid of fans, or dried in microwave ovens.
Mental and physical effects
There are three primary methods of introducing cocaine into the bloodstream, each of which has different effects and durations of hi.
Short term effects include...
- Inhalation through the nose or mouth - It takes cocaine about fifteen minutes to enter the blood stream if taken in this way. An individual will reach their peak hi in an average of 60 minutes. Apart from the general effects of cocaine itself, each method poses their own effects. This method decreases ones sense of smell (Permanently), Causes nose bleeds, and trouble swallowing. Also the septum becomes chronically inflamed which with further usage of the drug can lead to a hole being warn through the cartilage of the nose.
- Intravenously - Cocaine can be injected directly into the blood stream via syringe. On average the peak of the hi comes 30 seconds after injection and is more intense than that of the prior method. However the hi wears of much quicker typically three minutes after the peak. Taking the drug this way does damage to the circulatory system due to the collapse of veins.
- Inhalation of smoked crack-cocaine. Crack cocaine consists of cocaine and either baking soda or ammonia. This is the fastest means as the circulation from lungs to brain is about 8 seconds, where as an arm vein to brain is twice that. This method leads to tooth decay and respiratory problems.
Short term effects include...
- Increased blood pressure
- Constricted blood vessels
- Dilated pupils
- Mental alertness
- Increased energy
- Increased heart rate
- Decreased appetite
- Increased temperature
- Auditory hallucinations
- Altered perception of light and darkness/shadows
Long term cocaine effects are noticeable as cocaine use continues and tolerance builds. Since cocaine is a highly addictive drug, it can lead to major medical complications and health problems.
Long term effects include....
- heart disease
- heart attacks
- respiratory failure
- strokes
- seizures
- gastrointestinal problems
- convulsions
- nausea
- blurred vision
- chest pain
- fever
- muscle spasms
- coma
- Addiction
- Paranoia
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Auditory hallucinations
- Mood disturbances
My Experiences
Although I don't anymore, I dealt for several years. Due to the availability and large amounts of revenue quickly earned I slipped down the inevitable spiral of addiction. I truly believe but cannot factually proclaim that I wouldn't have crossed the thin line between recreational use and habitual use if I wasn't dealing. I can attest that the drug effects everyone differently though there is common ground and similar physical/mental effects. One cannot rely on the woes and advice of others, nor is it possible to rely on your prior instances of will and fortitude as by never doing it before one couldn't know how it will effect them. Not to mention the effects change over duration of usage. The hi for me started out being energetic, carefree, and euphoric. As time passed by and use became continual it turned into paranoia, dependency, and sleeplessness. In closing I would suggest looking at the risk/reward ratio. In my opinion it is far to high to ever consider or continue using the drug. Stick to weed as the ratio is exactly opposite as cocaine in all aspects including enjoyment. But it is your life, live it as you wish it's to late for me as my body and way of thinking has been forever altered by the devil's dandruff.
References
http://www.mindfully.org/Farm/Coca-Cultivation-Processing-DEA1sep93.htm
Steven Cohen, Cocaine Today, (The American Council on Marijuana and Other Psychoactive Drugs, Inc., 1981)
Richard Ashley, Cocaine Its History, Uses and Effects, ( New York : St. Martins Press, 1975)
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Drugs of Abuse Publication, Chapter 5, http://www.usdoj.gov /dea/pubs/abuse/5-stim.htm#Cocaine.
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA History Book, 1975-1980, http://www.usdoj.gov /dea/pubs/history/1975-1980.html.
Pictures
Isabel Munilla, World Resources Institute, 2008.
www.rain-tree.com/.../Erythroxylum-coca02.jpg
www.shiga-med.ac.jp/~koyama/pain/niemann.jpg
www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ni/el-profesor-freud.jpg
www.shiga-med.ac.jp/~koyama/pain/karl-koller.jpg
scrapetv.com/.../Business/images-2/Cocaine.jpg
www.fantazia.org.uk/drugs/images/crack.jpg
ubersuper.com/uploads/yapb_cache/colabottles...
Steven Cohen, Cocaine Today, (The American Council on Marijuana and Other Psychoactive Drugs, Inc., 1981)
Richard Ashley, Cocaine Its History, Uses and Effects, ( New York : St. Martins Press, 1975)
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Drugs of Abuse Publication, Chapter 5, http://www.usdoj.gov /dea/pubs/abuse/5-stim.htm#Cocaine.
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA History Book, 1975-1980, http://www.usdoj.gov /dea/pubs/history/1975-1980.html.
Pictures
Isabel Munilla, World Resources Institute, 2008.
www.rain-tree.com/.../Erythroxylum-coca02.jpg
www.shiga-med.ac.jp/~koyama/pain/niemann.jpg
www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ni/el-profesor-freud.jpg
www.shiga-med.ac.jp/~koyama/pain/karl-koller.jpg
scrapetv.com/.../Business/images-2/Cocaine.jpg
www.fantazia.org.uk/drugs/images/crack.jpg
ubersuper.com/uploads/yapb_cache/colabottles...
. Good job though
