Why does making cocaine require such toxic chemicals, is there safer way to make it in a lab?

Question

I’ve watched many documentaries on how they make cocaine, and it always required a a mixture of gasoline cement and battery acid etc. Would a scientific laboratory be able to make it under FDA rules for example?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

Yes, and the DEA explains how to do it.

My understanding is that a solvent like kerosene is used because it’s cheap and plentiful vs. other solvents.

[https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John-Casale/publication/258111607_Illicit_Production_of_Cocaine/links/5c520085458515a4c74b110d/Illicit-Production-of-Cocaine.pdf](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John-Casale/publication/258111607_Illicit_Production_of_Cocaine/links/5c520085458515a4c74b110d/Illicit-Production-of-Cocaine.pdf)