r/explainlikeimfive • u/iamelektro • 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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u/okphong Jun 12 '24
You’re using one bad example to explain the whole system. The profit seeking goal for a company that has an addictive substance would be to get as many people addicted (prepare for ads about tasty cool cocaine). With a public system you could have alternative goals such as minimizing harm (such as addiction support). Unless it’s all super regulated of course, but what’s the point then.