Illicit Production of CocaineCasale JF, Klein RFXForensic Science Review 5, 95-10 !199"#HTML by Rhodium$%stractThe predominant methods currently used for illicit production of cocaine are described. For illicit natural cocaine (i.e., from coca leaf), this includes production of coca paste from coca leaf via both the solvent and acid extraction techniues, purification of coca paste to cocaine base, and conversion of cocaine base to cocaine hydrochloride. For illicit synthetic cocaine (i.e., synthesi!ed from precursor chemicals), the classic five"step synthetic route used in all clandestine laboratories sei!ed to date is summari!ed. The ori#ins of the most common al$aloidal impurities and processin#%synthetic by"products typically identified in illicit natural, illicit synthetic, and pharmaceutical cocaine are discussed. Forensic differentiation of exhibits arisin# from the various production methods are addressed both in terms of overall product purity and the presence%absence of these impurities and byproducts.&a%le of Contents&. Table of 'ontents(. )ntroduction&. *ro+in# and Harvestin# of 'oca Leaf(. )llicit 'ocaine ,roduction &. )llicit -atural 'ocaine &. 'oca ,aste(. 'o$e .ase/. 'ocaine Hydrochloride(. )llicit 0ynthetic 'ocaine/. Licit (,harmaceutical) 'ocaine ,roduction1. Forensic 2ifferentiation of Licit 3ersus )llicit 'ocaine &. )llicit -atural 'ocaine(. )llicit 0ynthetic 'ocaine/. ,harmaceutical 'ocaine&. ReferencesIntroductionThrou#hout the &456s and into the &446s, cocaine (0tructure 1) has been the most +idely used7hard7 dru# of abuse in the 8nited 0tates91. :lthou#h recent dru# abuse monitors have su##ested that illicit cocaine usa#e in the 8nited 0tates is declinin#9/, +orld+ide use is still rapidly increasin# due to expandin# mar$ets in ;urope, 0outh :merica, and the Far ;ast9> !1991#(=. ;asin# H*, Racamy ', de Meeu+ R:B : rapid #as chromato#raphic method for the fin#erprintin# of illicit cocaine samples? J Forensic Sci ", 99> !1992#(5. Fortuna HB 0tatistical analysis of cocaine head"space vapors? 0ubstance 2etection 0ystems, 3ol (64(, ;uropto 0eries, ,resentation " )nternational 0ymposium and ;xhibition on 0ubstance )dentification Technolo#ies? )nnsbruc$, :ustria? Act. &44/.(4. *ill R, :bbott RD, Moffat :'B Hi#h"performance liuid chromato#raphy systems for the separation of local anaesthetic dru#s +ith applicability to the analysis of illicit cocaine samples? J C-ro1ato)r "01, 155 !19=9#/6. Hane ), 0cott :, 0harpe RDL, Dhite ,'B Juantitation of cocaine in a variety of matrices by hi#h"performance liuid chromato#raphy? J C-ro1ato)r 219, 29" !19=1#/&. Han!en G;, Dalter L, Fernando :RB 'omparison analysis of illicit cocaine samples? J Forensic Sci ", 9"> !1992#/(. Gram T'B Hydro#en"& nuclear ma#netic resonance spectroscopic analysis of or#anic solvents implicated in illicit cocaine processin#? manuscript in preparation.//. Le.elle MH, 'allahan 0:, Latham 2H, Lauriault *B )dentification and determination of norcocaine in illicit cocaine and coca leaves by #as chromato#raphy"mass spectrometry and hi#h"performance liuid chromato#raphy? $nal8st 11", 121" !19==#/1. Le.elle MH, 'allahan 0:, Latham 2H, Lauriault *, 0avard 'B 'omparison of illicit cocaine by determination of minor components? J Forensic Sci ">, 1102 !1991#/ !199"#14. Moore HM, 'ooper 2:, Lurie )0, Gram T', 'arr 0, Harper ', Neh HB 'apillary #as chromato#raphic"electron capture detection of coca"leaf"related impurities in illicit cocaineB (,1"diphenylcyclobutane"&,/"dicarboxylic acids, &,1"diphenylcyclobutane"(,/"dicarboxylic acids and their al$aloidal precursors, the truxillines?J C-ro1ato)r 910, 29 !19=# !19=2#