# Freebase caffeine **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 24, 2000, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121 "2000-12-24T22:15:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/1 "2000-12-24T22:15:23Z")
Is it possible to smoke caffeine? Has this ever been done? How would the 'feine be broken down into a freebase? Could this idea be a legal version of crack? ---
**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/2 "2000-12-24T22:20:36Z")
## I have no idea, but am curious: why do you want to smoke it? Is drinking futile? In any amount? Peace ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/3 "2000-12-24T22:57:24Z")
I don’t want to smoke it. This is just a nutty question that popped in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/4 "2000-12-24T23:00:04Z")
I’m not a chemist. You’re talking about putting tea leaves or coffee grounds in a pipe and smoking it? Be my guest. :rolleyes: The fact that AFAIK there aren’t any laws against smoking tea leaves tells me that there’s probably no particular point to it. When you’re talking about “freebasing” caffeine, I assume you’re talking about dissolving No-Doz in something and then heating it and smoking it. What would you use as a solvent? And what makes you think that smoking caffeine would do anything to you? Again, AFAIK there’s no law against it. Shouldn’t that tell you something? I don’t seriously think you’re onto something here. Is it just a long, dull Christmas Eve afternoon up there? 😃 How much snow cover you got left up there? Been ice fishing yet? We’ve got folks out ice fishing down here who’ve never even _seen_ the lake frozen over, let alone gone ice fishing. They keep asking, “Is something supposed to happen?” I think you have to be born to it. 😃 > **[How Caffeine Works](https://science.howstuffworks.com/caffeine.htm)** > > About 90 percent of Americans consume some form of caffeine every day: It's our most popular drug by far. What's so special about this stimulant? [http://www.cs.unb.ca/~alopez-o/Coffee/caffaq.html#Chemically](http://www.cs.unb.ca/~alopez-o/Coffee/caffaq.html#Chemically) [http://www.angelfire.com/co/Cocaine/chemistry.html](http://www.angelfire.com/co/Cocaine/chemistry.html) > **[Overcome Cocaine Addiction | Get Help at Cocaine.org](https://cocaine.org/)** > > Are you or someone you know suffering from Cocaine Addiction? Cocaine.org has the help you need to get treatment and start a path to recovery. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2000, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/5 "2000-12-25T01:32:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > \*\* > When you’re talking about “freebasing” caffeine, I assume you’re talking about dissolving No-Doz in something and then heating it and smoking it. What would you use as a solvent? And what makes you think that smoking caffeine would do anything to you? Again, AFAIK there’s no law against it. Shouldn’t that tell you something? I don’t seriously think you’re onto something here. > > Is it just a long, dull Christmas Eve afternoon up there? 😃 How much snow cover you got left up there? Been ice fishing yet? We’ve got folks out ice fishing down here who’ve never even _seen_ the lake frozen over, let alone gone ice fishing. They keep asking, “Is something supposed to happen?” I think you have to be born to it. 😃 > Ducky, your flatlander slurs about the frozen Land of Cheese are nothing compared to the rant I could go on. I’ve lived here 40 years and I can’t stand winter!:mad: Wisconsin winters suck, suck, suck! And I’d rather be kicked in the head than go ice fishing. What would I want to catch ice for? So my wife can fry it and we’ll both drown?😛 > > My caffiene idea is this: Grind caffeine pills to a fine powder. Boil the powder, thus, seperating the caffeine from the filler. Strain the caffiene water away from the filler with a cheese cloth. Pour the liquid caffeine into a square pan and place on the top rack of an oven. Heat oven at 200, but leave oven door open, allowing water to evaporate. After water evaporates, left behind should be pure crystals of alkaloid caffeine. Smoke the crystals in a crack pipe. > > Would this work, and what effect would the smoked caffeine have? I’m not going to try this, but was just wondering what would happen if someone did. > > \*\* ---
**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2000, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/6 "2000-12-25T19:03:13Z")
## You see, Duck, what WI winters can to to an otherwise normal people? No wonder they assigned it WI, as in WInter. They had a choice of WS, WC, WN, WO… but no! WI it is! Peace ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2000, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/7 "2000-12-26T00:28:02Z")
Well, **PK,** my WAG as to what would happen if you spent the whole day fooling around with No-Doz pills, making ersatz crack cocaine, would be that you would have spent $1.99 on No-Doz for nothing, and your loved ones would be giving you funny looks out of the corners of their eyes. There would be whispering in the living room. “What’s he doing?” “Making cocaine out of No-Doz pills.” “_He’s what?_” Why am I flashing on the “banana peel” thing from the 60s? It seems to me that back in those wild and crazy days, somebody SOMEWHERE would have experimented with what you’re talking about, and it’d be firmly established in the Urban Folklore, “Yeah, man, didja know, you can smoke purified No-Doz in a crack pipe and get, like, totally wasted, man…” The fact that this druggie factoid isn’t floating around in the Culture ought to tell you something. Also, the fact that AFAIK there’s no law against it. The Feds aren’t totally stupid (contrary to popular report :rolleyes: ). They don’t waste time and resources legislating and patrolling against things that aren’t harmful. There’s no law against smoking Swiss Miss powder, either. But hey, go ahead and try it, let us know what happens. I’m betting–nothing. Kids still out of school, huh? Climbing the walls? Send them out ice fishing–that’s what it’s _for,_ Cheesehead. 😃 If their little feet freeze to the ice, so much the better–more peace and quiet for you and Mrs. PK to practice your Kama Sutra positions. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2000, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/8 "2000-12-27T18:55:06Z")
I know a guy in North Judson, Indiana who, when he hasn’t time to make or drink several cups of coffee, will simply munch ground coffee right from the can. He says it wakes him up just the same as the wet stuff, and it tastes better. I’ll take mine wet, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starfish)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2000, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/9 "2000-12-27T19:32:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > \*\*Been ice fishing yet? We’ve got folks out ice fishing down here who’ve never even _seen_ the lake frozen over, let alone gone ice fishing. They keep asking, “Is something supposed to happen?” > > \*\* LOL I can just see the newbies casting the lure across the frozen pond and wondering “What’s the point of this?” You just hate to spoil it and tell them to cut a hole and fish through the ice. ---
**Author:** ![Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milton_De_La_Warre)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2000, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/10 "2000-12-29T18:09:41Z")
The “Ain’t no way to go” website has the story of a college kid who ate a whole bottle of No-doz (caffine tabs) on a dare and died of the irregular heartbeat that it caused. As with many of the replies, I’m not sure HOW you’d go about “freebasing” caffine, but I know you can OD on it. It’s time for another Diet Coke. Gotta go. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/11 "2002-12-11T10:59:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AskNott \* > \*\*I know a guy in North Judson, Indiana who, when he hasn’t time to make or drink several cups of coffee, will simply munch ground coffee right from the can. He says it wakes him up just the same as the wet stuff, and it tastes better. > > I’ll take mine wet, thanks. \*\* [These will do the same thing, and taste even better.](http://www.coffeeam.com/choccovkones.html) ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/12 "2002-12-11T14:45:55Z")
> [@](#): > > My caffiene idea is this: Grind caffeine pills to a fine powder. Boil the powder, thus, seperating the caffeine from the filler. Strain the caffiene water away from the filler with a cheese cloth. Pour the liquid caffeine into a square pan and place on the top rack of an oven. Heat oven at 200, but leave oven door open, allowing water to evaporate. After water evaporates, left behind should be pure crystals of alkaloid caffeine. Smoke the crystals in a crack pipe. > > Would this work, and what effect would the smoked caffeine have? I’m not going to try this, but was just wondering what would happen if someone did. Well PK because the effect of a massive smack of caffeine (assuming your airborne smoking uptake even works) is very unpleasant. It’s not a “whooo” rush it’s an “ACCCCKKK - Bleah!” (sounds like a Cathy strip) Caffeine is very bitter and astringent. You typically want to dilute and buffer it (ie tea and coffee beverages), taking it your way would be nasty and pointless. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/13 "2002-12-11T14:50:29Z")
Pure caffeine is a bitter, white, waxy solid that would probably make you very sick if you ate it. Humans _need_ to dilute and flavor it somehow, if they are to consume it at all. What is the caffeine percentage of the average coffee bean? Probably not very high, but I don’t know. A little caffeine, like a little cocaine, goes a long way. Why are we bumping two-year-old threads now? ---
**Author:** ![Young\_Mr.Grace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e47c2d/32.png) [@Young\_Mr.Grace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Young_Mr.Grace)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/14 "2002-12-11T15:46:18Z")
I’ve toked tea-leaves before (when I was young and stupid - as opposed to now when I’m 20 something and stupid.) All I got from it was a headache and burnt alveoli. (Coughing fit). ---
**Author:** ![Amfet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Amfet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amfet)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/15 "2002-12-11T19:06:55Z")
Caffeine AFAIK is used in a “free base” form. This [site](http://learn.chem.vt.edu/chemistry/general/biochemistry/drugs/freebase.html) explains what a free base is using cocaine and methamphetamine as examples (the free base molecules are in the middle row, salts are on bottom). I don’t see any reason why it could not be smoked, I also don’t see any reason why it would be smoked. Another asked this question on [Ask Erowid.](http://www.erowid.org/ask/ask.cgi?ID=2912) ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebase-caffeine/47121/16 "2002-12-11T19:23:26Z")
In my freshman chemistry class (college), one of our labs was to isolate caffeine from instant tea. I ended up with a few grams of white powder, which I carefully sealed up and took back to my dorm room. I kept it for years, just in case of emergency, you see. 😃 (Gawd, imagine if some snoopy official-like person had found it! Would have had some fun interrogation sessions, I suppose, until the lab tests came back.)