While it is true that crack cocaine does contain the freebased
form of cocaine , the term crack is specific to a kind of
freebased cocaine made using a safer, cheaper and easier method
than would normally produce pure freebased cocaine. Pure
freebased cocaine requires the use of flammable solvents, and
thus is more dangerous and difficult to produce. Instead, to
produce crack, powdered cocaine is mixed with sodium bicarbonate
(better known as baking soda) and water and boiled until a solid
substance separates from the boiling mixture. This substance is
removed and allowed to dry, and then broken up into chunks, or
"rocks." One gram of powdered cocaine will typically convert to
about 0.89 grams of crack cocaine. The Drug Enforcement Agency
(ie take this number with some doubt) estimates that crack
cocaine is about 75% to 90% pure cocaine. Crack cocaine is a
form of cocaine that is smoked in a glass pipe. Because the
cocaine is immediately absorbed into the blood through the
lungs, this creates an incredibly fa