How To Spot Cocaine: Everything You Need To Know

Cocaine has been around for centuries and was recorded as being used by Incas at 3000 years BC for both medical and religious purposes. Initially, the coca plant leaves were chewed by users to produce the desired effects. Many years later, in the 19th century, a chemist in Germany found a way to extract the active substance from the leaves, and cocaine was born. 

Of interest, the dangers of cocaine were not initially known, and it was a popular additive to medicines widely available over the counter to the public and was legal to consume. Scientists had not yet learned that cocaine was an extremely addictive substance that acts as a stimulant to the human nervous system. Using Cocaine is dangerous, and even one time increases the tolerance to the drug, thereby making addiction almost certain with continued use. To identify cocaine, it helps to know what does cocaine taste like or how it appears.  

Recognizing Cocaine

Many people believe cocaine to be a snowy white powder. The actual color of cocaine ranges from white to off-white or even pink or beige. The color of the cocaine varies due to the substances added and solvents used during processing. Often, cheap additives such as baby powder or other household chemicals are added or “cut” with the cocaine to add volume to the drug to increase profits. 

Along with powdered cocaine, there is also rock cocaine, also known as crack. Crack cocaine, sold as rocks, comes in colors ranging from white to beige or even yellow,  and just like the powdered form of cocaine, the appearance is altered by the additives the drug contains when processing. 

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The Taste of Cocaine

A popular question about cocaine is, “what does cocaine taste like?”. When buying cocaine, people often taste the drug to ascertain if they are purchasing the real thing. Actual cocaine, extracted from coca leaves, does not taste good. As for flavor, cocaine is unpleasantly bitter, and the purest form of the drug will also be the most bitter of all.

Cocaine Odor

The popular snowy white cocaine generally has no odor but is often reported as smelling like flowers, such as the original plant. Cocaine is mixed with chemicals and solvents during processing that will sometimes leave behind the smell of bleach or ammonia. Most cocaine that you can purchase has likely been cut with several potential substances from ordinary household items such as talc or baking soda. Hence, the smell, just like the taste, varies. Crack cocaine, smoked in a pipe, has a scent that resembles burning rubber or plastic. The smell is acrid and most unpleasant.   

A Dangerous Drug

Cocaine is a dangerous drug that is highly addictive, but professional help is available for those who need it. Knowledge is power, and recognizing this habit-forming substance is the first step in keeping you and your community safe from addiction and the nefarious activities that follow such problems. For more information on the topic of what does cocaine taste like or smell like, search online for more tips on recognizing the forms of cocaine available.