Pharmacology - Cocaine, natural or semi?

[Tony Williams]

Talking about freebase here.

What makes cocaine a semi-synthetic drug after manufactoring? Trying to win a debate here.

[Benga]

the manufacturing process itself, if one considers that in cocaine Hcl's case the synthesis implies executing chemical reactions to form a more complex molecule from naturally occuring chemical precursors, the alkaloids present in coca leaf.

b

[General Grievous]

Originally Posted by Benga

the manufacturing process itself, if one considers that in cocaine Hcl's case the synthesis implies executing chemical reactions to form a more complex molecule from naturally occuring chemical precursors, the alkaloids present in coca leaf.

b

swim has been curious himself...ever since he saw the movie blow and the process they did in the beginning...what exactly do they do?? swim know they collect the balls of white off the plant..but what step is next?

[Benga]

Originally Posted by General Grievous

swim has been curious himself...ever since he saw the movie blow and the process they did in the beginning...what exactly do they do?? swim know they collect the balls of white off the plant..but what step is next?

it's a ACID-BASE extraction of coca leaves, followed by different processes ( reactions, purification, crystalisation) to make cocaine base and then cocaine hydrochloride salt

b

[epote]

cocaine extraction in a clandestine manner goes like this:

exctract the alkaloids in a proper solvent (kerosen). Extract the alkloids from the solvent by making then insoluble in the solvent and soluble in water (by adding an acid). Then one removes the unwanted alkaloids by adding an oxidizing agent which atacks the oxygens in their molecules making them innert. Finaly one makes cocaine base by adding a base and then react it with hcl acid to from cocaine hcl