Yep, much cheaper. I'm talking the cheap chalk powder at the hardware store, or lawn and garden store, not the good stuff at the arts and craft supply store, chemistry supply outlet, bulk food product outlet or pharmacy. That said, laundry detergent can be grabbed at a convenient store.
As of crack, yeah, using laundry detergents instead of proper isolates for chemical cracking agents sound EXACTLY like something one of these scumballs would do. Again, the proper chemicals may be cheaper but it takes effort to get them.
I believe baking soda is the agent of choice.
And yes, that IS exactly what these morons do. My neighbourhood is dealer central, and many...well, they make poor business decisions. (For many reasons: systemic racism, lack of proper role models, bullying, learning & mental disabilities, etc. It's sad, but these people *will kill you.)
Yes, society failed these people and as a result they will fail you.
Succinct. 👏👏👏
Caustic soda is first choice, washing soda second, baking soda third, if I recall. These are all carbonating alkali sodas. The reason for the preference order is potency.
Lol, I meant around here, baking soda is it. We aren't dealing with educated people. They didn't go to science class. The laundry detergent (heard of this once, tbf) just in it to make a bigger profit from...soft, I think it's called? Idk. Some of their bosses may know more science, however.
There are also carbonating alkali calcium compounds (lime, quicklime, etc.) The finished product always needs to be neutralized, and bad actors will skip this step. Lime/chalk, is also used as a cutting agent due to it being within the ideal pH range.
Using chlorinated cracking agents, such as laundry detergent, is dangerous for many reasons, but bad actors do this as well. Combine these two and you've got poison on the streets. This is exactly why prohibition should be replaced with strict regulation.
Additionally, leaving the byproducts of the cracking process in place, complete with the laundry detergent the cracking chemicals were from also sounds like something they would do.
I think they just mix in laundry detergent to cut the cocaine to make more money.