Black Cocaine: What Is It?

Black cocaine is a highly addictive and illicit drug. At a basic level, black cocaine is cocaine hydrochloride or cocaine base mixed with other substances to turn it black.

By turning the drug black, it is easier for drug cartels to disguise the substance as something else and smuggle it across borders.

Where Black Cocaine Comes From

The coca plant, which mainly grows in Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru, is used to make cocaine hydrochloride.

As a result, about 90% of cocaine comes from Colombia. That being said, most black cocaine comes from the same area.

Colombian drug traffickers will disguise black cocaine as a wide variety of things including metal moldings, asphalt, and printer toner. The substance is also hidden within other items, like hammocks.

The Process Of Making Black Cocaine

To make black cocaine, cocaine hydrochloride or cocaine base must first be produced. As mentioned above, cocaine is made from the coca plant.

Extracting The Coca Plant

The substance is extracted from the leaves of the coca plant, then put through a variety of chemical processes to make the white powder you might think of when you hear cocaine.

Adding Diluents

Cocaine is also cut with many different diluents including baking soda, talcum powder, flour, and sometimes dangerous substances like the opioid fentanyl.

Making Cocaine Base

When dissolved in water and baking soda or ammonia, cocaine hydrochloride can be made into cocaine base, which is boiled and then dried into a solid, known as crack cocaine.

Refining The Base Into Black Cocaine

Once cocaine hydrochloride or base is made, the process of making black cocaine begins. Transforming these substances into black cocaine is a fairly short process.

The drugs are mixed with other chemicals or substances to change its appearance and detectability. For example, sometimes black cocaine contains charcoal or activated carbon.

Cocaine is also typically packed into kilos. A kilo of cocaine looks similar to a brick in shape and is sometimes how black cocaine is transported.

While black cocaine is easier for smugglers to transport due to its disguisable appearance, it can also mask the smell of cocaine even to sniffer dogs.

How Black Cocaine Is Abused

Once black cocaine is smuggled across borders, it can go through chemical treatments that extract the cocaine hydrochloride or base.

From there, the drug is used like any other form of cocaine. Typical cocaine use methods include snorting or injecting.

Effects Of Using Black Cocaine

The effects of black cocaine range from person to person as well as what the drug is mixed with.

Effects can be pleasant, but there are also some less-than-enjoyable feelings associated with cocaine.

Effects of cocaine may include:

• euphoria
• increased energy
• increased mental alertness
• hypersensitivity to senses
• increased heart rate
• increased blood pressure
• irritability
• paranoia
• anxiety
• tremors or muscle twitches

In addition to the desirable effects of this drug, many cocaine users also experience side effects that cause discomfort.

Dangers Of Using Black Cocaine

While some of the effects of black cocaine may be enticing, there is a long list of dangers associated with it, as with all kinds of drug use.

Dangers of cocaine abuse may include:

• headache
• addiction
• heart attack
• seizure
• coma
• nausea and vomiting
• hallucinations
• loss of smell
• stroke
• convulsions
• bacterial infections
• risk of HIV exposure
• hepatitis B and C
• overdose
• sudden death

The health risks associated with cocaine use are countless and can range from mild to very severe.

Unregulated substances are unpredictable, so you can never really know what could happen until you use the drug.

Treatment Options For Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine addiction is incredibly risky and can happen to anyone. If you or someone you know is struggling with abusing cocaine, it is essential to seek help.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with treatment options, Bedrock Recovery Center is a great place to start. Our rehabilitation facility offers a variety of cocaine addiction treatment programs.

Each program starts with detoxification to help you recover from your dependence on cocaine. From there, Bedrock offers inpatient treatment and medication-assisted treatment, based on your specific needs.

You’ll have the option to choose from inpatient and outpatient programs to find what works best for you.

In addition to recovering from addiction, Bedrock also offers therapy, support groups, and education to help you cope in healthier ways.

Find Cocaine Addiction Treatment At Bedrock Recovery Center

If cocaine addiction is taking over your or your loved one’s life, don’t hesitate to call our helpline at Bedrock Recovery Center for more information about treatment and recovery.