How Is Crack Cocaine Made?

Crack cocaine is a processed form of cocaine that is preferred by some people because it can be smoked. It is made by further processing powder cocaine. Treatment can help with crack cocaine abuse.

How Is Crack Cocaine Made?

Crack cocaine is made by combining powder cocaine with water and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate).

This mixture is cooked down until a solid forms. This solid is broken up into small pieces, or “rocks”, which is what many people recognize as crack cocaine.

Substances Used To Make Crack Cocaine

Making crack cocaine starts with a shrub grown in South America and ends with small, crystalline rocks that can be smoked.

Coca Plant

All forms of cocaine come from the leaves of the coca plant. The leaves are processed using chemicals and drying agents to form powdered cocaine.

Powdered Cocaine

Powdered cocaine is called cocaine hydrochloride. This white powder is made from leaves of the coca plant and can be used as-is or made into other drugs like freebase cocaine or crack cocaine.

Modified Cocaine

Almost all cocaine in powdered form has diluents and/or adulterants in it. These additives can make cocaine more profitable for dealers or enhance its effects and addictive qualities.

Recently, a lot of cocaine has been cut with the deadly opioid fentanyl, leading to a rise in overdose deaths among cocaine and crack users.

Other common adulterants include other stimulant drugs like amphetamines and caffeine.

The End Product: Crack Cocaine Rocks

The end product of making crack cocaine is small white, brown, or yellowish “rocks” that can be smoked. The rocks make a crackling sound when heated up, giving the drug its namesake.

Why Do People Make Crack Cocaine?

Powdered cocaine cannot be smoked. This is because its boiling point is too high.

The chemical process of making crack leaves an end product with a lower boiling point that can be smoked. Smoking crack leads to a short but very intense high that many people prefer.

Crack Cocaine Side Effects

Any form of cocaine use is very dangerous. Crack cocaine drug use leads to a more intense high than snorting cocaine powder.

Some effects of crack cocaine include:

• increased alertness
• excited state
• dilated pupils
• increased heart rate
• insomnia
• intense cravings for the drug
• sexual dysfunction
• cardiovascular problems including heart attacks, high blood pressure, fast heart rate, damaged blood vessels
• psychosis
• mental health concerns like depression and anxiety
• cocaine overdose

Treatment Programs For Crack Cocaine Abuse

Cocaine addiction and crack addiction are very serious issues that should be addressed with addiction treatment at a certified rehab center.

Treatment for crack cocaine addiction usually begins in detox, where people can go through withdrawal symptoms in a comfortable and safe healthcare environment.

After detox, inpatient rehab is recommended. Inpatient rehab may include behavioral health interventions, group counseling and individual therapy, and other treatments.

Find Addiction Treatment At Bedrock Recovery Center

Bedrock Recovery Center is one of the top inpatient drug and alcohol treatment centers on the east coast.

We offer inpatient detox and rehab services for people who want to recover from substance abuse issues.

Are you ready to put your substance abuse issues behind you? Call our helpline today to chat with a treatment specialist and learn more about our options.