What is Crack?

Crack is cocaine in smokable form. It usually is in rock form. It got its name “crack” because when it is smoked, it crackles. Crack is the street name given to cocaine that has been processed from cocaine hydrochloride to a free base for smoking. Rather than requiring the more volatile method of processing cocaine using ether, crack cocaine is processed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water and heated to remove the hydrochloride, thus producing a form of cocaine that can be smoked. The term "crack" refers to the crackling sound heard when the mixture is smoked (heated), presumably from the sodium bicarbonate. Smoking allows extremely high doses of cocaine to reach the brain very quickly and brings an intense and immediate high.