Secret (conspiracy?) of Super Coke

[phase_dancer]

A current post at an unmentionable site, discusses the “disappearance” of a publication which describes how cocaine can be easily transformed into Super Coke. This analogue, 4-(p-fluorophenyl)tropane, is reported to be a compound with a longer duration of activity, and a potency more than 50 times that of cocaine. This paper, it was claimed by the poster, was the only searched for synthesis not located on the site.
“So what?” you say, “The site doesn’t post abusive drug related stuff, Big deal”
But the site in mention - The American Chemical Society - is not “shy” to the subject of such substances, having previously published Daniel Perrien’s –The Chemistry of Mind Altering Drugs.
So what happened to this paper? Remember, this is a respected scientific establishment, providing for research based inquiries. It’s certainly not an organization you would think would intentionally compromise efforts by censoring content or availability, unless of course that decision was made from somewhere above management.
While it may not initially seem suspicious - not being able to find a paper from the parent site - there are obvious reasons why those involved in high end trafficking or law enforcement would not want this process to become public knowledge.
The procedure is depicted as being relatively easy, using non watched chemicals (although it does use a grignard reagent) in a 3 or so step operation which produces high yields of the desired isomer. The other 3 possible isomer products are also active - almost as much as the target analogue - and so it’s thought they wouldn’t require separation.
A very significant question was also raised concerning the toxicity of the substance.
“Would it increase proportionally with the potency?”
If the properties of cocaine were transferred to this isomer, I’d imagine incidence of heart attack would definitely rise.
The thread goes on to mention the affect such a process could have upon cartels’/ traffickers’ profits etc. A question also addressed is “why if cartels are involved in this secrecy, don’t they employ the process themselves?” One response was that they are not well educated in chemistry, but I find that an unsatisfactory answer. I’m sure a competent chemist in Columbia wouldn’t be that hard to find.
I think that if a plan of secrecy exists at all, it is more likely to have come from the DEA or some similar body. The profits would be greater if the X50 process was performed on coke already out of South America. Mind you, reducing the cargo size by the same amount would have to be attractive to smugglers.
Thoughts anyone?

 

[Pleonastic]

I can see why certain people would want that info supressed... after all, one of the major problems users have with coke is that the amount you need and the length of time it lasts doesn't justify the high cost... if super coke was to exist then people would be able to do bumps rather than lines - which is both convenient and cost-effective...
Very interesting...
[ 08 July 2002: Message edited by: Pleonastic ]

 

[Fetish Jester]

Okay, just a collection of random musings.
Hmmm, does that mean that the "Super Coke" would also be able to produce "Super Crack" i.e is this compound smokable?
Looking at the structure of Cocaine and thinking about 4-(p-fluorophenyl)tropane, I would suspect that a synthetic chemist worth their salt would be (eventually) able to produce a process to make this, so why not? Why haven't some chemists bought some cocaine in bulk, done this process and then sold it off?
Possibly the cartels don't want to do this process due to the fact that it would (theoretically) increase the volume of cocaine by 50 times, and thus cause a glut, causing the prices to drop dramatically.

 

[Sniff]

I'm no chemist, but if there was a super potent analog of coke, you would assume that 'super crack' would also exist. AFAIK crack is just coke freebase, rather than the sniffable salt, Cocaine HCl. The only difference between forms would be in the way that the body absorbs them, the actual effects result from the cocaine molecule rather than what form it takes eg freebase or salt.
This is just off the top of my head, so I could be wrong though...

 

[phase_dancer]

The freebase of such a compound may be suitable for use as cocaine base is, but not necessarily. Some compounds are more stable as a salt, some even have to be prepared as an unusual salt to improve stability or absorption. Looking at the distinctive group attached to this molecule (the 4-fluorophenol) it is likely this is a stable group as it replaces an ester linkage which is easily cleaved by enzymes, and probably further delays metabolism through the higher binding affinity.
The synthetic approach to manufacturing cocaine has presented problems such as low yields difficult procedures etc. and so in the past has been unattractive as an alternative to naturally derived coke. But such difficulties could suddenly become less of a concern for a product of such potency.
To chemists exploring new structures, cocaine is a good example of an interesting molecule, as besides having interesting geometry it has 2 ester linkages and an amine group, and therefore allows enormous numbers of compounds to be synthesized by substituting the attached groups. Even metal complexes of some of these compounds have been prepared.
Of course, discovering these high potency compounds is not usually the sole objective in doing this work. By understanding how molecular variations bind with receptors, more is understood about how the drug works, and to what and how it binds.
These results are collated and added to the vast libraries of structure activity relationships (SARs), and similar profiling databases.
Discoveries such as this variation on the cocaine molecule will continue to present new analogues of known substances, many of which could be tomorrow’s fancies. Nature is also far from exhausted with her range of yet to be exploited starting materials. Lets just hope at least some of these compounds are safer than the current understudies of Soma.

 

[johnnyonelove]

Conversion of Coke to Super Coke:
1. Take baggie of coke
2. Place in telephone booth
3. Close booth door
Super Coke should soon emerge. Fifty times more potent than regular coke! Ten times longer lasting! And wearing its underwear on the outside!
Super Coke also has a trusty side kick, Super Crack. Together they fight to rid the world of the evil curse of fatigue and boredom.

 

[Biscuit]

This is so interesting, and when one thinks about it, its not surprising at all.
Everyone knows about the vast array or phenylethylamines, tryptamines and lysergic amide drugs investigated by Shulgin and others. Almost all of these are synthetic chemicals; they do not exist in nature and have to be manufactured. Thus as u are manufacturing them why not change a functional group here, a functional group there and investigate the compound's activity.
However drugs which occur readily in nature, that is, they only have to be extracted, dont get this same scrutiny. Because cocaine, marijuana, salvinorin etc are readily available people simply assume they are the best compound for the job.
But the same reasoning applies equally to these substances as it does to the more traditional synthetic drugs like the amphetamines.
Synthetic cocaine and THC analouges could of course be made which may well make there parent naturally occurring compound seem like panadol. Even CAFFEINE could fit this bill. Imagine if a simple chemical reaction altered the strucure of the stuff in No-Doz tablets and produced a stimulant as powerful as cocaine!!
Such investigation has been done on Morphine to a degree. The potential scope of this is mind-boggling.
Super-coke is no doubt the tip of the iceberg.

 

[Fetish Jester]

Biscuit, that's an interesting point about morphine. I guess it was an excellent one to study because of its theraputic effects...
I'd be interested if any cocaine analogs would have theraputic benefits though. I know it's a complete mystery if they would, but somehow I suspect that there's not going to be that much research on it. Morphine is a painkiller, so research on it would be an excellent idea, better and less dangerous versions can be made.
Cocaine on the other hand... Other than being a local anasthetic with high addiction potential, what can it already do that other drugs can do better and less harmfully? I guess because there is no forseen potential for it, no one is going to bother looking at it.

 

[johnboy]

You realise that any moment now you are going to be reading about this on the front page of the Herald Sun?
*big wave to the journos*
Hopefully this is all too technical at the moment, and they can't find any snappy soundbites, although "Super Coke" is pretty good...
Back on topic: Hasn't a hell of a lot of work on synthetic cocaine actually been done? Isn't that where novacaine came from? and the other 'aines?
[ 10 July 2002: Message edited by: johnboy ]

 

[BigTrancer]

They're just trying to think up something cool and eye-catching for a headline. Something preferably with the re-usability of 'agony' and 'ecstacy'...
I do recall seeing the paper or a summary thereof, however the old link that I had for a description of future designer drugs is now a broken link.
BigTrancer

 

[Pleonastic]

What about arrogance?
"I'm just heading out to pick up an 8-ball of arrogance"...
Reckon it's got wings?

 

[phase_dancer]

Perhaps not Fetish Jester, but research has been done in attempt to find cocaine analogues which do not produce euphoria yet stop craving. This methadone for coke addicts was hoped to come from essaying several analogues, but as often is the case with this work, many synthesized compounds resulted in an increase in euphoric properties.
Interesting comments by the chief bee, suggest a cocaine analogue with 2X potency could be made from a certain precursor which could also be used to synthesize the high potency opiate analogue, fentanyl. Now that’s unusual; a precursor which could produce both a potent upper and a potent downer!
If you’re interested, here’s the reference:
web page
Although cocaine use in medicine has been largely replaced with synthetics which produce no euphoria or cellular agitation, there are certain uses e.g. topical applications to the upper respiratory passages; where cocaine has demonstrated outstanding properties, and is to my knowledge still used. Years ago a friend of a friend who had AIDS, was prescribed coke to counter the effect of other drug therapies. I’d never heard of this before, but apparently at that time it was quite common for people in palliative stages of the disease.
Morphine analogues have been put to good use medically and otherwise. Heroin is diacetylmorphine, a simple synthetic variation. The addition of the acetyl groups, increases lipid solubility causing heroin to cross the blood/brain barrier more rapidly than morphine. Something I didn’t know till reading recently, is that heroin is still used in Britain as an analgesic. (Rang et al 2001).
The opioid antagonists such as Naloxone and Naltrexone work by competitively binding with opioid receptors. They may be structurally very similar to morphine, yet when bound do not induce secondary mechanisms resulting in euphoria.
Caffeine is a remarkable molecule packed full of groups which can be exchanged by synthesis etc. Xanthines, particularly caffeine, resemble guanine, a nucleotide base. As Biscuit mentions, there are countless variations possible with these compounds. Many have been prepared long ago, but few so far have found medical uses that I’m aware of, apart the derivative aminophylline. Theophylline, another natural alkaloid, is also used in medicine as an asthma treatment adjunct.
As for the chemistry of THC and Salvrinorin A; these are subjects in themselves. I recently went through the Total Synthesis of Cannabinoids, published in Total Synthesis of Natural Compounds, and available through rhodium’s site. Future applications in medicine of some of these compounds is promising, especially in light of recent claims that THC has antioxidant, and possibly neuro-protective properties. THC is a relatively big molecule, so perhaps it’s not surprising that many dollars have been spent researching analogues and their properties. I remember reading years ago, someone even produced a THC /Methylenedioxyphenyl conjugate which was reported to have anti tumor properties.
JB, most if not all of the early developed local anesthetic replacements featured 2 common chemical groups with cocaine; a primary or a secondary amine on one end of the molecule and an aromatic ring on the other. These groups are separated a chain of atoms usually 1-4 units long. The first developed synthetic, Eucaine which featured some of the geometrical characteristics of cocaine, was highly toxic. Others such as benzocaine, novacaine etc. do not have the tropane structure of cocaine. Lignocaine is different again as it has an amide group. Novacaine was used extensively, because it had such a low toxicity, but early developed locals all lacked one or more of cocaine’s properties, or were simply too toxic. Benzocaine for example was used only in non injecting applications, as it has low solubility and does not diffuse well into tissue. So cocaine remained in use. A usual property of cocaine analogues is that the toxicity goes up with the potency, so it could very well turn out that any super-coke is too toxic, even when diluted or cut.
johnnyonelove, LMAO, but I thought Super-Coke & Crack to be more of super villains – Robbing people of sleep rejuvenation, while delaying inevitable introspection.
I guess that if such an isomer was to be circulated, it would be duration that would guarantee popularity. Or would it? The ritual of a line every twenty minutes, is for some the best part of it, like a bong is for others I guess. Some users may initially use less, as the high wouldn’t disappear as quickly, but I bet there would be those who still partook in their hourly quota.
Coke so easily causes an insatiable craving - a maddening addiction, often resulting in an epidemic among friends. Money is often the only limiting factor. So in all likelihood, super-coke would produce super cravings with super consequences. It’s amazing to watch what too much coke does to a person. The term wired doesn’t do it justice, especially after an obsessive session on the rock.
I say thank god coke is so expensive in Australia. If coke - not speed - was the upper most used in Aus, I reckon the sociological impact would be orders of magnitude above that of which speed is presently considered responsible for.
Apologies if I’ve attracted undue attention with this thread, but personally I feel it should be an accolade to Bluelight that such ‘early awareness issues’ are brought up here.
If more media reports got the story right in articles on a new subject, credibility could start to approach the status of factual representation rather than fanciful BS where it usually lies.
As always Mods; edit, eliminate, destroy, lock etc. where-ever deemed necessary”