Ever wondered what does cocaine look like? While many people think that cocaine is exclusively a white, powdery substance, the truth is that there are a few other kinds of cocaine out there. These other kinds of cocaine are still dangerous but are sometimes cut with other ingredients that end up making it even more of a problem. There are lots of nicknames for cocaine, but it’s important to remember that even the friendliest of nicknames do not make it any less dangerous. This is why it’s so important to know how to spot and avoid these kinds of substances.
Want to learn more about cocaine and the dangers of this addictive drug? You’ve found the right blog post. Read on for everything you need to know about cocaine.
Cocaine
Cocaine is one of the most-used drugs in the world. This illegal substance is a powerful, addictive stimulant that comes from coca leaves that originate in South America. Consuming these leaves has been around for thousands of years, specifically for their stimulant effects.
This drug has a powerful effect on the brain, making it equally as dangerous and addictive. In addition to this, the production process of making cocaine adds to the risk of using this drug. This is because cocaine is illegal and is made in very uncontrolled ways. The production process also uses tons of chemicals to extract the cocaine from coca leaves, making it incredibly toxic.
The History of Cocaine
As mentioned above, cocaine is an illegal drug that is made from coca leaves. These leaves grow wild in South America and have a rich history that dates back thousands of years in the region. These plants were one of the oldest cultivated plants in South America, specifically within the Amazon Rainforest.
Indigenous people that lived in the Amazon Rainforest were the first people to interact with this plant. These people quickly noticed the burst of energy they received after chewing on the coca leaf. This then led to them harnessing the leaf and incorporating it into religious ceremonies.
In 1551, the Catholic Church saw the coca leaf as dangerous to the spread of Christianity and quickly prohibited its use. However, this leaf was still used in controlled environments, especially in the world of medicine. German chemist Albert Nieman managed to isolate cocaine from the leaf, a process that evolved into how cocaine is extracted today.
Coca leaves remained in the spotlight for the next few hundred years and was the subject of much debate, research, and were even used as a core ingredient for tons of medicines. However, the dangers of cocaine addiction were always around.
This is important to understand as many people believe that cocaine was widely used in the past, so it must have been safe. The truth is that it was never safe for consumption, and the effects we know about cocaine were present even back then.
How Is Cocaine Made?
Cocaine is made by processing coca leaves. The process starts by collecting, soaking, and drying coca leaves. These leaves are soaked in gasoline before being drained and dried.
What Does Cocaine Look Like?
Once the coca leaves dry, the cocaine base is left. This dried substance is then dissolved in a solvent before drying out into the white, powdery substance we recognize today. However, crack cocaine requires additional chemicals during the process, adding to the complexity of the dangerous substance.
Identifying Cocaine by Appearance
As mentioned above, there are a few different kinds of cocaine that can often go by a few cocaine street names. While all these kinds originate from coca leaves, they are prepared differently giving them a different appearance, but they all remain incredibly dangerous and addictive.
Cocaine is also cut with other ingredients from time to time. This is a tactic used by drug dealers to make more money from each batch of cocaine that they have. While this benefits them, it adds to the complexity of the drug and can cause even more damage to your health.
Here’s a quick look at how to identify cocaine by appearance.
What Does Pure Cocaine Look Like?
The easiest way to identify the different types of cocaine is through their appearance. The colour and texture of the cocaine are a clear indication of which cocaine it is. If cocaine wasn’t cut with anything, pure cocaine would look like a soft white powdery substance.
Cutting Cocaine
At the end of the production process, many drug dealers still cut the cocaine with additional ingredients to increase the supply. While this does help them make more money, it adds even more dangerous chemicals and substances to the mix. This all adds up to make cocaine one of the most menacing, uncontrolled drugs around the world.
What To Cut Cocaine With
In order to cut cocaine, dealers start with pure cocaine and add in other substances to increase the volume of the solution. Dealers often use laundry detergent, baby powder, laxatives, caffeine, creatine, or boric acid to cut cocaine.
These ingredients are used since they have a similar colour and texture to cocaine. This way, they can mix everything together to create a cut substance.
The Added Danger of Cut Cocaine
Cut cocaine is dangerous due to the unknown and toxic nature of the ingredients that are used. For example, some cocaine is cut with laundry detergent, which is very toxic for humans to ingest. In this way, cut cocaine increases the overall risk of using cocaine.
Types of Cocaine
There are a few different types of cocaine around the world. While all of these substances originate from the coca leaf, they are made in unique ways. This gives them a unique look and feel, but are still equally as dangerous to use.
Pure Cocaine
Pure cocaine is a crystalline powder that comes directly from coca leaves. This product is uncut and remains pure directly from the leaf. Pure cocaine is incredibly rare since dealers can make so much more money by cutting the product with other substances.
Crack Cocaine
Crack cocaine is popular and comes in small, rock-like structures. The colour of crack cocaine can vary depending on its clarity and quality. This structure is designed specifically for smoking as it’s easier to put a rock in a pipe than powder.
Synthetic Cocaine
Synthetic cocaine is not real cocaine but is a substance designed to mimic the real thing. This product looks like crack cocaine but is used in medicine and as a local anesthetic.
Pink Cocaine
Pink cocaine is not cocaine but is actually a drug known as 2C-B. This drug is called pink cocaine, as it can be found in a pink powder form. This substance is known to cause feelings of euphoria and hallucinations in high doses.
Black Cocaine
Black cocaine is a chemically modified version of cocaine designed to help go undetected. By mixing pure cocaine with charcoal, black cocaine is created.
Fish Scale Cocaine
This substance is often uncut and incredibly high-quality. This cocaine comes in tiny flakes instead of powder. This kind of cocaine is also known to increase a user’s tolerance.
How Different Kinds of Cocaine Are Abused
Cocaine can be consumed and abused in various ways. While cocaine used to be an ingredient in many medicines, cocoa leaves are widely used to make cocaine. Since modern medication does not rely on cocaine anymore, this powdery substance is primarily consumed for its stimulant nature.
Snorting cocaine is one of the most popular ways to abuse the substance. This method includes sniffing and inhaling cocaine through your nostrils but it can cause damage to your nasal passages and even lead to nose bleeds.
It’s also possible to smoke cocaine, as many people abuse the drug by heating it with a pipe and inhaling the vapour. This can result in coughing, bronchitis, and difficulty breathing. This method also comes with an added risk of overdose.
Side Effects and Dangers of Cocaine
It’s no secret that cocaine is a dangerous drug. This illicit substance comes with a host of side effects that can have a major impact on your quality of life. These mental and physical side effects can completely ruin your life.
Physically, cocaine addiction can cause weight loss and short-term memory. In addition to this, you’ll also be at a higher risk of seizures, stroke, and heart attacks. This highlights the deep-rooted nature of cocaine addiction.
Mentally, cocaine can have a major impact on stress and anxiety levels. Cocaine addiction can cause your mood to fluctuate and even cause depression. The withdrawal symptoms of cocaine addiction intensify these effects, making life unbearable in the process.
The most noteworthy aspect of cocaine addiction is the risk of overdose. This is incredibly common among people smoking cocaine as they don’t realize how much they are consuming until it’s too late. Nevertheless, the risk of death is high among cocaine addicts compared to other hard drugs.
The social impact of cocaine addiction should not be ignored either. Cocaine addicts tend to lie about their drug use and withdraw from sober friends and family. This often leaves them feeling alone in the world, intensifying their feelings of anxiety and depression.
Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine abuse is a serious addiction that should be taken seriously from day one. This addiction comes with a few symptoms that you should keep an eye out for. This includes depression, anxiety, mood swings, restlessness, hypertension, euphoria, damage to nasal passages, dilated pupils, violent behaviour, and a consistent withdrawal from friends and family.
Can Cocaine Kill You?
As mentioned above, there are tons of risks associated with cocaine use. This highlights the importance of seeking out professional help as soon as possible. Using cocaine has serious health risks that can lead to permanent health damage, and yes, cocaine can kill you.
Cocaine addiction increases your risk of strokes, heart attacks, seizures, ulcers, and permanent damage to your lungs. However, it’s possible to fully recover from cocaine addiction with the proper support and treatment plan.
Cocaine Addiction Treatment
Quitting cocaine comes with a host of withdrawal symptoms you should know about. This includes symptoms such as exhaustion, fatigue, depression, and tremors. While this makes it difficult to fully recover from cocaine addiction, it does not make it impossible.
This is because there are vital inpatient services that can help you through the process. The first step in recovering from cocaine addiction is to detox. This can be done at home but is much safer in a medical facility.
These facilities have experienced medical professionals on-site to help you every step of the way. A sustainable recovery also provides you with counselling to learn the necessary skills to abstain even after leaving the facility.
Addiction Treatment in Ontario
When it comes to the question, what does cocaine look like? The simple answer is that it’s a white, powdery substance. However, this dangerous drug can come in quite a few different colours and styles, all of which are still dangerous and addictive.
Holistic treatment is always the most sustainable way to recover from substance abuse. This is why we offer comprehensive treatment programmes to help you or your loved one recover from cocaine addiction.
Contact us today to talk to one of our professionals to help you determine the best path to recovery for you.