2020 Election MEGAthread

[Pretzelle]

Myth: Crack cocaine is more dangerous or more addictive than powder cocaine.
Fact: These two substances are actually almost chemically identical. It has been long observed in research that the differences between crack cocaine and powder cocaine are minor, and the difference in the manner in which both substances are normally taken is responsible for this myth. Similarly, mixing powder cocaine in water and injecting it results in a quicker onset of the psychoactive effects, more intense effects, and a shorter duration of these effects. Individuals who snort powder cocaine get essentially same psychoactive effects as individuals who smoke crack; however, smoking the drug, whether in powder form or as crack, results in the intensity of the psychoactive effects being perceived as more powerful and the effects wearing off more quickly. The difference is due to the way the drug is taken (smoked or injected versus snorted) and not due to the chemical composition of different forms of cocaine. Because individuals who smoke drugs like cocaine often experience the effects as being very strong and short-lived, they may be more likely to binge on the drug to maintain the psychoactive effects, but again, this is due more to the method of administration and not to chemical differences in the forms of cocaine.