The freebasing process starts with powder cocaine and ends with what is technically known as cocaine sulfate. Freebasing is no longer done using ether. While crack cocaine contains baking soda, freebase cocaine is almost a completely pure form of cocaine. While both are smoked, crack cocaine and freebase cocaine are different. Removing the hydrochloride leads to a low melting point, which is what makes the cocaine smokable. Instead, people began producing “crack” and selling it to people who wanted to smoke cocaine.Ĭrack cocaine is produced by using baking soda to remove the hydrochloride from cocaine, which leads to hard crystal-like rocks that can be put into a pipe and smoked. The process of freebasing cocaine with ether fell out of favor because ether is a highly flammable liquid, leading to many injuries. How is Crack Cocaine Different From Freebasing Cocaine? After using ether, people would take a lighter or other heat sources to melt the cocaine base, producing a vapor that could be inhaled. In the 1970s, people began to use ether to “free” the base, which means separating the cocaine from the salt additive. The end product is known as cocaine hydrochloride, which is a powder that can be snorted, rubbed on the gums, or dissolved in water and injected. During the extraction process, cocaine is neutralized with acid, forming salt. In chemistry, cocaine is considered a weak base. VIEW OUR TREATMENT CENTERS What is Freebasing Cocaine?
