Crack Cocaine Research Paper

Crack cocaine has a shorter high, yet it is at an increased intensity, almost immediately after being smoked unlike cocaine. Crack is also considered a poor man’s drug while cocaine is usually considered to be associated with those of a upper class society.

In the summer of 1985, New York City was introduced to the drug crack. The ensuing seventeen years have culminated into some of the most turbulent, and crime ridden years in the history of New York City. Crack is the street name for a form of cocaine introduced in the mid-1980s. Crack is smoked, rather then sniffed through the nose, or injected, which are all other ways to use cocaine. Users of the drug inhale the vapors that are given off when the crack is heated (Berger pg.20). Crack cannot burn, and in order to give off the drugs vapors it must be heated to a very high temperature. After the crack has been heated the user will proceed to inhale the vapors. The drug will then pass

Crack cocaine has been popular since the 1970s and mid 1980s. Crack cocaine is not a new drug; this drug is obtained from coca plant which grows mainly in South America. For many years, the native South American Indians chewed its leaves to develop strength and increased energy. By the 1800s, the cocaine was secluded from its leaves and used as a medicinal drug. By the late 1800s, it was used as an anesthetic and to avert surgical hemorrhage. The next century, people recognized crack cocaine an addictive narcotic and its non-medical use of the drug was ended by the Harrison Narcotics Act in 1914 (“How crack cocaine works?”).

Methamphetamine was created in Japan in 1919. It became widely used in World War 2. Kamikaze pilots would get high doses before their missions. Meth kept soldiers awake and focused. People started using in it the U.S. in the 1950’s as a diet drug. Meth was also known as the “soccer mom drug” because people could get their work done quickly and lose weight at the same time. Many people started taking the drug in high doses and began abusing the drug in the 1960’s. Methamphetamine became illegal in the 1970’s.

Crack and powder cocaine is a controversial topic. There have been racial disparities in drug enforcement between Crack and powder cocaine. Cocaine is derived from the opium gather naturally from the poppy plant while crack is the result of a chemical reaction been cocaine, water and a strong base. Under the controlled substances act both are classified as schedule II meaning they both have a high potential for abuse which can cause a use to be dependent both physically and psychologically.

Cocaine that has been processed with ammonia or soda and is transformed into a smokable form is often referred to as crack. Habitual crack abuse can have devastating effects on a person, and the signs are often obvious. Below is a list of some of the possible crack abuse signs:

Thus, powder and crack cocaine are pharmacologically the same drug. The difference lies in the demographics of users, and the media perceptions of users. Crack is more attractive and accessible to the poor

Pretty soon they’ll find themselves having to use crack just to feel “normal” again. This is the physical dependency stage. It occurs when the user has built up such a high tolerance from frequent usage, that their body basically forgets what is normal so they have to maintain a continuum of the drug to ward of the withdraw effects. As a result of usage, anxiety and depression can last for weeks. Attempts to stop using the drugs can fail simply because the resulting depression can be overwhelming, causing the addict to use more cocaine in an attempt to overcome his depression. This is the point in which you get the more stereotypical crack addict. They begin to steal from their family and friends, miss work/school, prostitute, and do just about anything they can to get the money to support their habit. They begin to short or try to get over on the person who is selling them drugs, which can result in violence. Some even become drug dealers themselves so that they can pay for the drugs that they use.

Crack cocaine is a highly addictive crystal form of cocaine that comes in solid bocks or sometimes crystals in varying colors from light pink or white to yellow and is the most powerful form of cocaine. It is less expensive than regular cocaine, allowing younger people with less money to access it, and users can become addicted to it after just one usage. Cocaine is made of coca leaves that were first used three thousand years ago, and crack cocaine (crystal form) was first developed in the 1970’s and became popular in the 1980’s. On the streets, crack cocaine is also known as chemical, crack, French fries, gravel, hard rock, hotcakes, paste, rocks snow coke, tornado, and electric kool-aid. It is usually available as rocks that vary in

Methamphetamine or Meth is defined as a synthetic drug with more rapid and lasting effects than amphetamine, used illegally as a stimulant and as a prescription drug to treat narcolepsy and maintain blood pressure. Methamphetamine is also known as Ice, Glass and Crystal. On the streets Methamphermine have many different names which includes: Speed, Ice, Chalk, Crank, Croak, Tweak, Uppers, Black Beauties, Glass, Bikers Coffee, Methlies Quick, Poor Man’s Cocaine, Chicken Feed, Shabu, Crystal Meth, Stove Top, Trash, Go-Fast, Yaba, Yellow Bam, and Tina. Meth is an odorless, white crystalline powder with a bitter taste. Its soluble in liquid and can be injected, snorted, ingested, or smoked. It is a central nervous system stimulant drug that increases

In fact, the Federal Sentencing Guidelines state that a given amount of crack as equivalent to 100 times the amount of powered cocaine. According to the reading, Crack and Cocaine Introductory Material; it comes down to a minimum 5-year sentence for 500 grams of powder cocaine as to crack cocaine it is a 10-year minimum sentence for 50 grams of crack. Although the book stated that the media relates the usage of crack to mostly African American, I have learned through CRJU 385 by Dr. Brown’s lectures that, it’s a myth; in reality White people are the heavy crack users. Since the mid 1980’s crack has been labeled as the most addictive and destructive drug in existence. Crack was used by people who had less money, as to powder cocaine is used by people who have more money, rich man’s drug. “Interesting to say cracks highs are followed by intense lows that may drive user to desperately seek another hit”, (Morgan and Zimmer, 1997). The book stated that the characterization of crack as the “fast food of the drug market” is consistent with reports about the rate at which it is used. This reminds me of Mc Donald’s, just picturing the rush of money that they make every day, I know it is over exaggerated but I can picture it both. In the reading Refining Rock; Cocaine can be bought in rock form and then smoked. It can also be converted from powder into rock then smoked. It is faster to use when it is in rock form. Since I am majoring in Criminal Justice, I was curious to learn the connection between cocaine and crime. I learned that it has six types of use: snorting, intravenous use, crack smoking, freebasing, coca paste smoking, and new form of cocaine. Most crime was drug dealing, which made the most sense. Other crimes included: acts of violence, grand theft, petty theft, and prostitution. As stated earlier, alcoholism was an impact on my family. During the course I

Since the individual is not experiencing any sickness, pain, or other outward physical discomfort I would suggest that this individual may have been consuming cocaine, marijuana, or is an alcoholic.

More specifically, crack is crystallized freebase cocaine. Freebasing is where cocaine hydrochloride is mixed with ammonium hyroxide ether. This solution is then heated, the ether evaporated, and leaves freebase cocaine which is then smokes (Zonderman and Shader, 65). This process is called "cooking". The crack residue is a solid crystalline substance that is broken into chips or pieces resembling gravel (Edwards, 76).

Cocaine can be identified as a white powder which can then be snorted up a person’s nose, an alternative method to taking is to inject directly into the blood stream. Crack Cocaine comes about by chemically altering the Cocaine powder to form hard crystals, which can be known as ‘rocks’.

The drug known as cocaine refers to the powder substance extracted from coca leaves. Cocaine is often diluted with fillers or adulterants like talcum powder, sugar, caffeine, lidocaine, or even amphetamines to increase the amount of product available for distributors and dealers to sell. This drug is highly addictive, and many fall quickly into abuse patterns; eventually developing an addiction problem. Cocaine users come from all walks of life and occupations; ranging from the wealthiest persons in the world to individuals living in poverty.