Introduction
You bought cocaine, but the product has strange effects. Then you decided to figure out its composition. You open this article and use it as a guide for experimenting. The list of manipulations with cocaine product, useful information for home tests and product brief are mentioned below.
Forms
Salts.
Cocaine – a tropane alkaloid – is a weakly alkaline compound, and can therefore combine with acidic compounds to form salts. The hydrochloride (HCl) salt of cocaine is by far the most commonly encountered, although the sulfate ((SO4)2-) and the nitrate (NO3−) salts are occasionally seen. Different salts dissolve to a greater or lesser extent in various solvents – the hydrochloride salt is polar in character and is quite soluble in water. All salts of cocaine are absolutely white powders or lumps with shiny particles.
Base.
As the name implies, "freebase" is the base form of cocaine, as opposed to the salt form. It is practically insoluble in water, whereas hydrochloride salt is water-soluble. Smoking freebase cocaine has the additional effect of releasing methylecgonidine into the user's system due to the pyrolysis of the substance (a side effect which insufflating or injecting powder cocaine does not create). Some research suggests that smoking freebase cocaine can be even more cardiotoxic than other routes of administration because of methylecgonidine's effects on lung tissue and liver tissue. Pure cocaine is prepared by neutralizing its compounding salt with an alkaline solution, which will precipitate non-polar basic cocaine. It is further refined through aqueous-solvent liquid–liquid extraction.
Crack cocaine.
Crack is a lower purity form of free-base cocaine that is usually produced by neutralization of cocaine hydrochloride with a solution of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3) and water, producing a very hard/brittle, off-white-to-brown colored, amorphous material that contains sodium carbonate, entrapped water, and other by-products as the main impurities.
Cocaine – a tropane alkaloid – is a weakly alkaline compound, and can therefore combine with acidic compounds to form salts. The hydrochloride (HCl) salt of cocaine is by far the most commonly encountered, although the sulfate ((SO4)2-) and the nitrate (NO3−) salts are occasionally seen. Different salts dissolve to a greater or lesser extent in various solvents – the hydrochloride salt is polar in character and is quite soluble in water. All salts of cocaine are absolutely white powders or lumps with shiny particles.
Base.
As the name implies, "freebase" is the base form of cocaine, as opposed to the salt form. It is practically insoluble in water, whereas hydrochloride salt is water-soluble. Smoking freebase cocaine has the additional effect of releasing methylecgonidine into the user's system due to the pyrolysis of the substance (a side effect which insufflating or injecting powder cocaine does not create). Some research suggests that smoking freebase cocaine can be even more cardiotoxic than other routes of administration because of methylecgonidine's effects on lung tissue and liver tissue. Pure cocaine is prepared by neutralizing its compounding salt with an alkaline solution, which will precipitate non-polar basic cocaine. It is further refined through aqueous-solvent liquid–liquid extraction.
Crack cocaine.
Crack is a lower purity form of free-base cocaine that is usually produced by neutralization of cocaine hydrochloride with a solution of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3) and water, producing a very hard/brittle, off-white-to-brown colored, amorphous material that contains sodium carbonate, entrapped water, and other by-products as the main impurities.
Cocaine isomers
Four pairs of enantiomers are predicted from the accepted structural formula of cocaine. Each member of a pair of enantiomers has a diastereoisomeric relationship to members of all the other pairs. Coca leaf contains l-ecgonine, cinnamyl cocaine and alpha and beta-truxillyl ecgonine (cocamine), which can be converted to cocaine, but d-ecgonine or pseudoecgonine leads to isomers which are devoid of the strong central stimulating effects of l-cocaine. During the process of isolation from the leaf, l-cocaine is converted to ecgonine (tropan-3-beta-of-2-beta-carboxylic acid), which is easily reconverted to l-cocaine (benzoylecgonine methyl ester).
R(l-)-cocaine is the most active isomers of cocaine. There is a table with quantitative data about cocaine isomer activity. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) is a measure of the potency of a substance in inhibiting a specific biological or biochemical function. IC50 is a quantitative measure that indicates how much of a particular inhibitory substance (e.g. drug) is needed to inhibit, in vitro, a given biological process or biological component by 50%.
The most popular admixtures added to cocaine
The most popular admixtures are Tetramisole (Phenyltetrahydroimidazothiazole) and Caffeine. Caffeine has stimulated CNS effect as cocaine, tetramisole may accentuate cocaine's effects. Levamisole-adulterated cocaine has been associated with autoimmune disease. Also, synthetic local anesthetics such as benzocaine, proparacaine, lidocaine, and tetracaine makes the same sensations during consumption and may be added to cocaine powder to reduce the product self cost.
Examples of pure cocaine
All of these cocaine products have 95%+ purity confirmed by GC-MS.This is ~50% cocaine, polluted by benzocaine. Cocaine which is admixtured usually absolutely white powder and no have color difference.
1. Firstly, you have to provide visual checking of your stuff. If your product has a different color from white, It, probably, has some organic or inorganic pollution, which can change color. Any color distinguished from white means a dirty or substituted product.
2. Secondary, provide simple dissolution experiment with your product. Dissolve 100 mg (100 mg is enough, but more is better) of the cocaine sample in 7-10 ml room temperature water. If your sample is solving well, it means that, probably, you have quiet pure drug. Also, large lumps can dissolve over time. Important: grind dense lumps of powder before the experiment, small lumps may form in the sediment.
2. Secondary, provide simple dissolution experiment with your product. Dissolve 100 mg (100 mg is enough, but more is better) of the cocaine sample in 7-10 ml room temperature water. If your sample is solving well, it means that, probably, you have quiet pure drug. Also, large lumps can dissolve over time. Important: grind dense lumps of powder before the experiment, small lumps may form in the sediment.
You have to interpret results of the dissolution experiment. If your product is completely insoluble or partially dissolves, it could be caused by the addition of benzocaine, proparacaine, lidocaine, caffeine or tetracaine. There are links to simple experiments for determinate caffeine in amphetamine powder by Wagner's reagent and Nitric acid and ammonia solution. These methods are suitable for cocaine as well.
I got cocaine mixed by benzocaine ~50% of concentration. During dissolving experiment with cocaine powder, I obtained a solution with suspended flakes and insoluble sediment. GC-MS analysis approved admixture of benzocaine.
I got cocaine mixed by benzocaine ~50% of concentration. During dissolving experiment with cocaine powder, I obtained a solution with suspended flakes and insoluble sediment. GC-MS analysis approved admixture of benzocaine.
Also, it can be MCC (microcrystalline cellulose), silicon dioxide, inorganic salts (see «Determination of impurity in synthetic PAS»).
3. Thirdly, confirm the compliance of the product with the declared cocaine by LF tests (drug testing kits). You will receive clear result about your substance and admixtured narcotic substance (if it takes place to be) and these tests help to choose next step.
4. Fourthly, check pH of the solution. Product of cocaine can be polluted by organic powdery acids (ascorbic, citric, etc.), organic powdery bases (Novocaine, Lidocaine, Caffeine, etc.). «Determination of impurity in synthetic PAS» exactly describe method of determination of them, these methods valid for cocaine as well.
5. You feel that your cocaine product do not call appropriate effect and matched previous tests did not show any pollution, you have to carry out an experiment to determine tetramisole in your cocaine product. It is very common admixture which can be soluble in water and do not get any reactions described above. Use «The Separation of Cocaine and Phenyltetrahydroimidazothiazole Mixtures». There are determining and purifying methods.
6. Next, if any pollutants are not found, and you still doubt in your cocaine sample or LF tests reveal admixtured narcotic substance, lead experiments with test reagents. Use «Drugs testing reagents». These methods help to determine kind of admixtures. There are manuals, which are described checking method procedures and meaning, where you can find methods of reagent synthesis. According to data from testing reagent experiments, you may compare and approve result by TLC.
For instance, you have received test result with Marquis and Mecke reagent, which gave amphetamine/methamphetamine colors (yellow to orange). After, you added few drops of Mecke or Marquis reagent and the color of the drops changes to yellowish. Usually it means that your cocaine diluted with amphetamine/methamphetamine. Take TLC plate, polluted sample of cocaine, real clear cocaine, clear amphetamine and methamphetamine (if you have), make four spots of substances and elute them, count Rf and compare results with the literature data. If your cocaine sample spots will split in two or more parts, which will have the same level of amphetamine or methamphetamine and clear cocaine, it means that your sample has amphetamine or/and methamphetamine contamination.
Use Mandelin Reagent firstly for checking your cocaine for lidocaine, levamisole and other substances.
3. Thirdly, confirm the compliance of the product with the declared cocaine by LF tests (drug testing kits). You will receive clear result about your substance and admixtured narcotic substance (if it takes place to be) and these tests help to choose next step.
4. Fourthly, check pH of the solution. Product of cocaine can be polluted by organic powdery acids (ascorbic, citric, etc.), organic powdery bases (Novocaine, Lidocaine, Caffeine, etc.). «Determination of impurity in synthetic PAS» exactly describe method of determination of them, these methods valid for cocaine as well.
5. You feel that your cocaine product do not call appropriate effect and matched previous tests did not show any pollution, you have to carry out an experiment to determine tetramisole in your cocaine product. It is very common admixture which can be soluble in water and do not get any reactions described above. Use «The Separation of Cocaine and Phenyltetrahydroimidazothiazole Mixtures». There are determining and purifying methods.
6. Next, if any pollutants are not found, and you still doubt in your cocaine sample or LF tests reveal admixtured narcotic substance, lead experiments with test reagents. Use «Drugs testing reagents». These methods help to determine kind of admixtures. There are manuals, which are described checking method procedures and meaning, where you can find methods of reagent synthesis. According to data from testing reagent experiments, you may compare and approve result by TLC.
For instance, you have received test result with Marquis and Mecke reagent, which gave amphetamine/methamphetamine colors (yellow to orange). After, you added few drops of Mecke or Marquis reagent and the color of the drops changes to yellowish. Usually it means that your cocaine diluted with amphetamine/methamphetamine. Take TLC plate, polluted sample of cocaine, real clear cocaine, clear amphetamine and methamphetamine (if you have), make four spots of substances and elute them, count Rf and compare results with the literature data. If your cocaine sample spots will split in two or more parts, which will have the same level of amphetamine or methamphetamine and clear cocaine, it means that your sample has amphetamine or/and methamphetamine contamination.
Use Mandelin Reagent firstly for checking your cocaine for lidocaine, levamisole and other substances.
Conclusion
Melting point verification can be added to the second step to confirm quality compliance and to determine the degree of impurity content. This manual allows identifying degree of cocaine impurity level, determinate contamination substances and approve results by different methods.
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