Articles comparing crack cocaine and cocaine HCl use

[Blador]

I am looking for information regarding crack cocaine for a college paper. More specifically, it is a comparison of it's usage with intranasal cocaine salt usage. If anyone could point to or send articles on the subjec, I would greatly appreciate.

I have found the following abstract that I will share with you. Unfortunately, the full article isn't freely available.


1: JAMA. 1996 Nov 20;276(19):1580-8.

Crack cocaine and cocaine hydrochloride. Are the differences myth or reality?

Hatsukami DK, Fischman MW.

Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neurosciences, University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis 55455, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To review and discuss the differences and similarities between the
use of crack cocaine and cocaine hydrochloride; and to determine how these
findings might affect policies on the imprisonment and treatment of cocaine
users. DATA SOURCES: English-language publications were identified through a
computerized search (using MEDLINE) between 1976 and 1996 using the search terms
"smoked cocaine," "crack cocaine," "freebase," and "cocaine-base." In addition,
manual searches were conducted on references cited in original research
articles, reviews, and an annotated bibliography, and on selected journals.
STUDY SELECTION: Only those articles that compared various routes of cocaine
administration or types of cocaine (cocaine base or crack cocaine vs cocaine
hydrochloride) were examined. DATA EXTRACTION: Studies were reviewed to obtain
information on the composition of the 2 forms of cocaine, and the prevalence,
pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, abuse liability, pattern of use, and
consequences across the various routes of cocaine administration and forms of
cocaine. CONCLUSION: Cocaine hydrochloride is readily converted to base prior to
use. The physiological and psychoactive effects of cocaine are similar
regardless of whether it is in the form of cocaine hydrochloride or crack
cocaine (cocaine base). However, evidence exists showing a greater abuse
liability, greater propensity for dependence, and more severe consequences when
cocaine is smoked (cocaine-base) or injected intravenously (cocaine
hydrochloride) compared with intranasal use (cocaine hydrochloride). The crucial
variables appear to be the immediacy, duration, and magnitude of cocaine's
effect, as well as the frequency and amount of cocaine used rather than the form
of the cocaine. Furthermore, cocaine hydrochloride used intranasally may be a
gateway drug or behavior to using crack cocaine. Based on these findings, the
federal sentencing guidelines allowing possession of 100 times more cocaine
hydrochloride than crack cocaine to trigger mandatory minimum penalties is
deemed excessive. Although crack cocaine has been linked with crime to a greater
extent than cocaine hydrochloride, many of these crimes are associated with the
addiction to cocaine. Therefore, those addicted individuals who are incarcerated
for the sale or possession of cocaine are better served by treatment than
prison.

Publication Types:
Meta-Analysis

PMID: 8918856 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


I don't know if ADD is the right place to post this, but since I am looking for articles, not hearsay... Move if you wish..

 

[DopaMan]

Just grab a bunch of pharmacokinetic papers. The body is always fighting to maintain homeostasis. The more rapid the peak plasma concentration occurs the less time your body has time to "defend" against it.

 

[trypt]

Here is a link to a Special Report to Congress about cocaine sentencing policy: http://www.ussc.gov/crack/EXEC.HTM. The report focuses on "the differences in penalty levels between two forms of cocaine - powder and crack," so I thought it might be relevant to your project. It seems like Chapter 2 (Cocaine, Its Forms, Methods of Use, and Pharmacology) might be of interest to you. Also, they cite all their data (from, it looks like, legit medical journals).

The PDFs have much nicer/cleaner formatting than the HTM files.