Cocaine Q&A

Cocaine is made from a plant that grows in warm wet areas, as are found in parts of South America, including Columbia and Peru. The leaves are mixed with a base chemical as found in ashes, then washed in acid. There are many recipes depending on which form of coke is wherekgdesired: plain cocaine is an acidic compound, while freebase/crack are base forms of the cocaine molecule. Making it into a base lowers the vaporization point, so it can be smoked in a pipe, and doesn’t burn. Reading how it is made is very interesting, and it is easy to find a lot about cocaine use and manufacture.

Withdrawal from marijuana is obvious for the first week to two weeks: irritability (cussing out Mom), sleep disturbance with some experiencing bad nightmares, trouble concentrating, poor motivation, social withdrawal. However, even after the first wave of symptoms, many people addicted to cannabis will lack motivation, be bored, sleep a lot, have periods of irritability, and sleep problems. Ultimately, all addictions leave their subjects with boredom, lack of interest, low motivation, moodiness, and sleep disturbance.

Intravenous opiates produce the strongest high, but even oral opiates (Vicodin, Percocet, oxycontin) also produce a very strong high. Intravenous methamphetamine and intravenous cocaine produce abnormal levels of intoxication and easily damage the pleasure system. Smoked cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine also produce extreme high.

Both of these drugs elevate blood pressure, sometimes to dangerous levels; these can harm the fetus. If the baby is exposed to either drug several times during the pregnancy, it will slow brain development and produce a syndrome like ADHD. It is difficult to treat. Women should avoid ALL drugs when pregnant, including marijuana.

Although both are called “drugs” the two compounds are distinctly different in their mechanism of action. Cocaine is a stimulant that in fairly low doses produces interest, pleasure, euphoria, sexual stimulation. It engages the reward and pleasure chemistry of the brain and leads to the release of high levels of dopamine. Ketamine doesn’t do any of their things. A neurotransmitter called “glutamate” is the brain’s major chemical involved in activated states, “brain glue” that knits brain functions together. Ketamine blocks the glutamate receptor, and the usually integrated functions of the brain “dissociate.” Patients can have pain, but awareness of it is reduced by ketamine. Activation of the pleasure/reward chemistry doesn’t occur with ketamine; is not a pleasurable drug.

Most cocaine is grown in South America, including Columbia and Peru. The leaves are crushed and the cocaine extracted using acid. It is then packaged and smuggled into other countries.