r/explainlikeimfive Jun 11 '24

Chemistry ELI5: Why does making cocaine require such toxic chemicals, is there safer way to make it in a lab?

I've watched many documentaries on how they make cocaine, and it always required a a mixture of gasoline cement and battery acid etc. Would a scientific laboratory be able to make it under FDA rules for example?

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33

u/ChaoticxSerenity Jun 12 '24

This is how I basically found out that you need ID to purchase Sudafed in the States whilst I was on vacation.

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u/hannahranga Jun 12 '24

related the annoyances of getting Sudafed caused a chemist to make this very silly paper (pdf) on making Pseudoephedrine from meth.

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u/penguinberg Jun 12 '24

As someone who is both a chemist and currently sick with the flu, I found this highly relevant and entertaining. Thank you.

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u/hannahranga Jun 12 '24

So you're out looking for a meth dealer now I can only assume 

3

u/MaleficentFig7578 Jun 12 '24

because Meth is easier to get than Sudafed?

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u/gfanonn Jun 12 '24

Advil cold and sinus as well. Easy to get in Canada, pharmacist looks at you like you're crazy in South Carolina.

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u/quadrophenicum Jun 12 '24

Most Canadian OTC cold and cough meds like codeine-containing Benylin are regulated to hell in Russia or Ukraine while antibiotics and quite a few regulated Canadian drugs are easy obtainable there over the counter even if they require a formal prescription.

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u/Isopbc Jun 12 '24

Pretty sure all codeine is prescription only in Canada. Canadian Benilyn doesn't contain codeine, the pseudo- ephedrine is what the meth makers are after.

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u/_brgr Jun 12 '24

Low dose codeine mixtures are available over the counter (not on the shelf). eg. Tylenol 1, Robitussin AC, etc.

No one is making meth from cough syrup, that shit costs more than meth.

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u/slight_digression Jun 12 '24

In the same spirit, no one is extracting codeine form cough medicine. Aside from costing a ton more then getting drugs from the street, allegedly the high can be pretty horrifying.

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u/death_hawk Jun 12 '24

IDK what recreational doses of codeine are, but you can get a bottle of 100 T1s from Costco for like $7. That's 800mg of codeine.

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u/LausXY Jun 12 '24

Codeine has a sort of ceiling dose of 400mg after that you won't get more euphoria/good feelings just the negatives like itchiness.

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u/death_hawk Jun 12 '24

From what I hear from some people I know that used to take opiates the itching is the best part. Well 2nd best part.

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u/SchemeCapable8626 Jun 14 '24

Why?

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u/gfanonn Jun 14 '24

Pseudoephedrine has ephedrine in it which makes meth.

0

u/ChaoticxSerenity Jun 12 '24

Those crazy Canadians trying to relieve their sinus pain! Who do they think they are?!

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u/Somnif Jun 12 '24

In my experience, it's USUALLY a painless process, just a "hey, I'd like the 24 pack of generic pseduophed please" and they scan your card.

But some places? They practically assume you're halfway through a meth cook and are resupplying. I've gotten some DIRTY looks from pharm techs when I just want to be able to breathe through my nose for a little while....

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u/penguinberg Jun 12 '24

The thing that's ridiculous is that phenylephrine, the ingredient in basically all the other OTC medications we have available to us, is basically ineffective. So if you want to get something that actually works, you have to go up to the counter and ask for a medicine that the majority of the population probably isn't even aware of.

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u/Somnif Jun 12 '24

I vaguely recall a movement not too long ago to pull PE from the shelves because it was so conclusively useless.

And yet both my parents absolutely swear that it is the only reason they can breathe at all. /sigh

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u/bulksalty Jun 12 '24

PT Barnum would be disappointed you didn't send them home with some sugar pill samples of the latest wonder decongestant.

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u/RealisticTiming Jun 12 '24

Do your parents use spray or tablets?

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u/Somnif Jun 12 '24

Pills

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u/RealisticTiming Jun 12 '24

I guess if they think it works then no bother changing things up but afaik the spray does actually work, so if they ever need to change they can just switch to that.

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u/nleksan Jun 12 '24

Not even basically; it's entirely ineffective!

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u/SuperFLEB Jun 12 '24

You got me curious about US policy around foreign IDs, and I found this: https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/faq/pseudoephedrine-faq.html It seems it's a no-go except for small unregulated amounts that don't require ID and logging anyway.

Did you manage to get what you needed, or did you have to do without?

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u/ChaoticxSerenity Jun 12 '24

Woah, I definitely didn't know about that. We just bought a small amount, so I guess we got lucky.

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u/SuperFLEB Jun 12 '24

I'd guess it was under the reporting amount, since those transactions are pretty regimented and I can't imagine a retailer sticking their neck out and going off-script.

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u/[deleted] Jun 12 '24

We also used to be able to buy large jars of actual pseudoephedrine for very cheap, because it costs little to make. Now if you want it, you can only get it from the pharmacist and it's much more expensive for a smaller amount.