URGENT QUESTION about sodium carbonate & coca

[coconut200]

hello!

I would like to know how sodium carbonate react when mixed with coca tea?

Also, what if someone would of added sodium bicarbonate instead?

Thanks!

 

[Nagelfar]

Less active perhaps? Would require the stomach (acids) or full spectrum of the tea leaf alkaloid admixture (upon ingestion) to protonate it?

 

[Amml]

Cocaine is hydrolyzed by acid or base into ecognine, which according to german wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocastrauch) has no addiction potential compared to the very addictive cocaine.
I can't find a direct source for that but it seems reliable because coca leaves are consumed in large amounts in this regions and if the cocaine would get unhydrolyzed in their blood (chewing with CaCO3/ashes or eating them - hydrolyzation by stomach acid) it would be much more harmful perhaps.

 

[coconut200]

thanks guys, keep it going

 

[Bagseed]

if basic conditions would easily hydrolyse the Cocaine, crack would not be a thing...

 

[Amml]

if basic conditions would easily hydrolyse the Cocaine, crack would not be a thing...

You are right, during cooking baking soda sodium carbonate is formed which is quite a strong base. Interesting.

Maybe the ashes or bases in general are used because they bring the cocaine from the Coca leaves into the freebase form which is then more readlily available to be absorbed through the mucus membrane.

 

[Pomzazed]

Dont drink sodium carbonate solution, it is too basic and will corrode the mucosa (believe me, its painful all the time for month...)
Or at least if you test the pH and is more than 8-8.5, dont drink!
And over pH of 1 unit is 10x more, 2 is 100x more... just a reminder it is log scale

 

[Nagelfar]

Maybe the ashes or bases in general are used because they bring the cocaine from the Coca leaves into the freebase form which is then more readlily available to be absorbed through the mucus membrane.

It's vaporization point versus burning point for freebase cocaine is the consideration for that state with inhaling as route to administer:

It is the salt (e.g. HCl) due to its moist-air solubility which is the 'more readily absorbed through mucus membrane'