Cooking in the microwave is typically what we call a dry cook or bouncing it. Just mix the coke and baking soda and cook for like a minute or whatever. When it’s done it should be one solid chunk, throw it on the counter and it will bounce. People do it that way because it adds a lot of weight vs cooking it in water to form pure freebase cocaine. I have a g of coke and new to all of this. I tried the other week with just some water, baking soda and water on a spoon. Did not turn out bad but not a lot and not sure how much water and baking soda and how long to cook it.

'Along with the heroin, cash, weapons and other stuff you would expect, we kept finding these tiny McDonald's spoons they give out for stirring tea and coffee.”
~ A Scotland narcotics detective, 1998

In the 1970s, every McDonald’s coffee came with a special stirring spoon. It was a glorious, elegant utensil -- long, thin handle, tiny scooper on the end, each pridefully topped with the golden arches. It was a spoon specially designed to stir steaming brews, a spoon with no bad intentions.

It was also a spoon that lived in a dangerous era for spoons. Cocaine use was rampant and crafty dealers were constantly on the prowl for inconspicuous tools with which to measure and ingest the white powder. In the thralls of an anti-drug initiative, the innocent spoon soon found itself at the center of controversy, prompting McDonald’s to redesign it. In the years since, the irreproachable contraption has tirelessly haunted the fast food chain.

This is the story of how the “Mcspoon” became the unlikely scapegoat of the War on Drugs.

The War on Drug Paraphernalia

On June 17, 1971, President Richard Nixon stood before his peers in the White House’s briefing room and officially initiated the War on Drugs. “America's public enemy number one in the United States is drug abuse,” he told a panel of reporters, “and in order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new, all-out offensive.”

In the ensuing eight years, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was born, plans were put in place to dismantle the Colombian cocaine trade, and thousands of questionable arrests were made. Nixon’s initiative conversely increased drug use. Throughout the 70s, cocaine experienced its golden age: By 1979, the drug -- touted as the “champagne of drugs” by The New York Times -- was being ingested by 11% of adult Americans.

At the same time, a rhetoric emerged among anti-drug campaigners that these problems stemmed from the use and sale of paraphernalia (coke spoons, pipes, rolling papers, etc). National Families in Action, formed in 1977, successfully lobbied to pass several laws prohibiting the sale of drug paraphernalia. By 1979, just as cocaine use peaked, the DEA proposed the Model Drug Paraphernalia Act, which set in place an incredibly vague definition of what constituted “paraphernalia:”

'The term ‘drug paraphernalia’ means any equipment, product, or material of any kind which is primarily intended or designed for use in manufacturing, compounding, converting, concealing, producing, processing, preparing, injecting, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing into the human body a controlled substance…”

Due to its ambiguous language, the law wasn’t adopted on a federal level -- but it was enacted by almost every state government (in some cases, verbatim), and it placed unlikely household items under the umbrella of drug paraphernalia. A sandwich bag in proximity to a few nuggets of weed or a silly straw near a line of coke were now “items of suspicion.”

In the midst of this political rubble, McDonald’s innocent little coffee spoon found itself at the center of the discussion.

A Spoon’s Loss is a Lobbyist’s Victory

Just prior to the creation of the Model Drug Paraphernalia Act, then-Senators Joe Biden and Charles Mathias held a hearing in Baltimore, where the Paraphernalia Trade Association (who represents headshop vendors) could voice their concerns. The PTA swiftly went about arguing that, under such a broad definition, anything could be deemed “paraphernalia.”

According to minutes from the hearing, one PTA representative attempted to make a mockery of the proposed law. “Look at this,” he facetiously told the panel, thrusting a McDonald’s coffee stirring spoon above his head. “This is the best cocaine spoon in town and it’s free with every cup of coffee at McDonalds.”

With its long, thin handle and tiny stirring head, the McDonald’s spoon had, indeed, amassed a cult following among drug dealers and aficionados. Light, cheap, and inconspicuous, it could be concealed easily -- and best of all, as its scoop held exactly 100 milligrams of product, it doubled as a measuring device.

While the representative’s intention was to deride the anti-drug crusaders’ attack, his stunt fell on the wrong ears -- those belonging to former President of the National Federation of Parents for Drug-Free Youth, Joyce Nalepka. Though Nalepka left the hearing without a chance to testify, she spent her whole drive home “searching for some way to counteract [the PTA’s] McDonald’s spoon statement.”

Then it hit her: she’d contact McDonald’s, inform the company of its utensil’s bad rap on the street, and demand they discontinue it.

Nalepka phoned the chain’s corporate office and, through some sweet talking, got through to its president, Ed Schmidt. “What do you want from me?” he asked her, as she began to explain the problem.

“The drug paraphernalia industry says your tiny spoon-shaped coffee stirrer is being used as a cocaine spoon,” answered Nalepka. “I’m testifying before the U.S. Senate tomorrow, and I want you to say you’ll redesign the spoon and allow me to go back to the Senate hearing and announce that you don’t want to have your company associated with drug paraphernalia.”

“We have 4,500 stores,” retorted an unfazed Schmidt. “It’s not going to happen.”

Nalepka persisted, this time employing an emotional siege. “Well, would you consider doing this for your children, and for my kids and America’s kids? Go the extra mile.”

Schmidt asked the persistent lobbyist to call him back in twenty minutes; when she did, his answer was curt: “We’ll do it.”

***

The following day, Nalepka attended a senate hearing on drug paraphernalia and youth, where she proudly announced her victory:

“The paraphernalia industry has told us several times that the McDonalds restaurant coffee stirrer makes an adequate cocaine spoon; this disturbs me -- to kids, McDonald’s is All-American. Last evening, Mr. Edward Schmidt, president of McDonald’s restaurants, gave me permission to announce to you that the company will either redesign or discontinue the item altogether. This is an important statement from the business community.”

Joyce Nalepka at a conference in 2008

Following the hearing, Nalepka sent out a press release and received a tremendous response, much to the chagrin of the Paraphernalia Trade Association and other anti-drug war folks. While Nalepka later reflected that her successful ban of the McSpoon “didn’t stop the drug epidemic,” she claims it “left a large imprint that responsible businesses were ready to help [ban paraphernalia]:”

“After that, [opposers] would sit behind us when we testified in state legislatures or the U.S. Congress and call us names while we spoke. They’d ask us questions like, ‘What’s next? Are you going to ban swizzle sticks and shot glasses?’ The chiding came from print as well as electronic media.”

Among these dissenters was Kenneth Bombard, a child psychologist at Duke University who argued that the vagueness of what defined paraphernalia was a slippery slope. “Many common articles are used every day as paraphernalia,” he told a panel. “The loss of the McDonald’s coffee spoon is a tragedy, and only the beginning of what’s to come under this law.”

Still, McDonald’s ceded to anti-drug pressure. “It has been brought to our attention,” the family-oriented company stated in a press release, “that people are using [our spoons] illegally and illicitly for purposes for which they are not intended.' With that, in December 1979, the ‘McSpoon’ bid adieu.

The Inglorious Return of the McSpoon

In early 1980, McDonald’s redesigned and released its new coffee stirring spoon -- a much flatter one with a paddle instead of a small scooper. While the move sated anti-drug lobbyists, it did little to curb cocaine use.

During its life at McDonald’s, the utensil had become so unanimously popular with drug dealers, that ‘McSpoon’ became a common slang term on the streets, referring to the specific amount of cocaine the spoon held (exactly 100 milligrams). In 1992, more than a decade after the spoon had been discontinued, a DEA agent told the Columbus Dispatch that dealers were still using the “measurement” to dole out the drug. “A bundle of cocaine,” he clarified, “includes ten McSpoons.”

This wasn’t the only trouble brewing for the spoons. After terminating and redesigned the spoons in 1979, McDonald’s was left with millions of the old ones in storage. To rid its supply, the company continued disseminating them to its franchises abroad. Soon enough, the spoons began to cause a ruckus elsewhere.

In December 1998, during a 250-home narcotics sweep, detectives in Edinburgh, Scotland came across an unlikely item. 'Along with the heroin, cash, weapons and other stuff you would expect,” said one police insider, “we kept finding these tiny McDonald's spoons they give out for stirring tea and coffee.” It was later determined that drug dealers had been using the spoons for years to measure heroin (and the glucose used to dilute the drug). Unlike scales, which were often used as evidence of drug dealing in court, the spoons posed a minimal risk under Scottish paraphernalia laws.

When McDonald’s was informed of the situation, the company quickly replaced the spoons with the flat-edged US version. “'We have regular consultation with the police and it was something they asked us to take a look at,” a company spokesman told the Scottish Daily Record. “As a responsible company, we try to work closely with the police.'

A Never-ending Plight

“Cokespoon No.2”

While the cursed spoons were completely eradicated by McDonald’s, they have continued to haunt the company. Long-replaced by tiny plastic straws (which, according to one customer, totally suck), the original spoon still seems to have a cult following and can be copiously found on auction sites for $4-5 each.

In 2005, San Francisco-based artists Ken Courtney and Tobias Wong purchased one on eBay and proceeded to cast a gold-plated “exact replica” of the old McDonald’s spoon. The spoon, aptly christened “Cokespoon No.2,” was subsequently featured in high-end art galleries, reproduced, and sold as a $295 novelty item.

McDonald’s didn’t appreciate the joke.

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

In 2007, citing the 'association of [its trade]marks with illicit drug activity,' the fast food chain sent the artists a cease and desist. Like the real spoon, the golden replica was discontinued.

'Designers and manufacturers have a very specific and clear idea of the function of the objects that they make,' Wood later told a reporter. 'And yet, when it arrives into society and culture, you really have very little idea control over what it's then used for or even how it's valued as well.'

If you enjoyed this post, you'll be mildly amused by our book → Everything Is Bullshit.

This post was written by Zachary Crockett. Follow him on Twitter here, or Google Plus here.

• well what is the best way to cook up some crack with 1g of cocaine?

  how many g’s of crack will i get from this one g of cocaine?

  how much will this 1g of cocaine cost me?

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  very subjective questions which i really cba to get into or help you make crack.

  @p0ly 472628 wrote:

  very subjective questions which i really cba to get into or help you make crack.

  Lmao how harsh to the poor dude :P… I’m gonna derail this but woot woot.

  well what is the best way to cook up some crack with 1g of cocaine? According to masterchefs, when cooking shit youll wanna add lotsa butter and crunchy biscuit base. It adds flavor.
  how many g’s of crack will i get from this one g of cocaine? Not enough for an average dose, so you’ll need to plug it to get the best out of your shit.
  how much will this 1g of cocaine cost me? Depends on how much you pay for it, the more you pay the more it’ll cost ya. The intelligent people told me that it’s got something to do with price.

  i can’t believe this person didn’t even know about bicard-ching ratio. seriously, you only have to google it.

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  you can be a crack fiend in just a matter of days, 400 pound GONE. good fun never feeling satisfied 5 min buzz, what a fun high.

  Does anyone know what will happen if benzocaine is add to Levamisole can they be cook with baking soda to form a crack or rock.

  cocaine is about 4% average street purity, to cook with bicarb add 30% bicarb to mixture and wash this will result in a crack rock of about 2.5% purity, this is why people think crack is shit these days, two years ago an average crack rock would be at least double this.

  You could alternately use ammonia or ether, dissolve the cocaine hydrocloride in the liquid and gently evaporate off the liquid leaving you with purified base cocaine, be careful ether is explosive when heated (so is ammonia for that matter), this method will leave you with pure rocks which were what got people into smoking the shit to start with.

  Of course with average purity cocaine you will be left with a rock of 0.04g after doing this, still up for it? still into taking cocaine, wait your dealer gets the best peruvian flake and its 85% pure :bigsmile::biggreen::satisfied you muppet, you believe that bullshit, he’s cooked it up for you? did he mention using extra bicarb 60% so your rock is only 0.9% cocaine?

  keep on smoking the shit

  yes they can be cooked with bicarb the dealers friend

  Most comprehensive tutorial I know. I used to have a big problem with coke, and that problem was not having it as often as I’d like. Tried making crack several times and failed most, gave up. I’d suggest you do the same, but if you’re insistent on making it, you might as well do it properly.

  If you’re in the UK, I have no idea how much a gram of coke will cost you. A reasonably priced gram, with minimum cut (you’re never going to find pure cocaine unless you make it yourself or head out to Peru. The most you can hope for is 70-80% purity generously.) is about $60 here in the states, I think that’s about £37. That’s coming from someone who traveled all over, from where it should be purest in Florida, to NC, to California. 60 is reasonable no matter where I go, though I’ve gotten it for less with heavier cut.

  One thing I will tell you, DO NOT SELL THIS SHIT. No matter how well you make it, it’s not going to be great, and you’re going to lose lots of money if you aren’t handling ounces of cocaine at a time. You mentioned a gram. That’s personal amounts, even a ball is personal to the right addict. You’d need quite a bit in order to get your money’s worth, so just smoke it and let us know when you find out it’s not a worthwhile high. I really hope you do realize that, it’s toxic. I’d much rather stick cocaine up my butt and have a longer, more intense coke high than smoke crack.

  Be careful, be easy, and I didn’t tell you nothin’.

  @Mimetic 495386 wrote:

  Most comprehensive tutorial I know. I used to have a big problem with coke, and that problem was not having it as often as I’d like. Tried making crack several times and failed most, gave up. I’d suggest you do the same, but if you’re insistent on making it, you might as well do it properly.

  If you’re in the UK, I have no idea how much a gram of coke will cost you. A reasonably priced gram, with minimum cut (you’re never going to find pure cocaine unless you make it yourself or head out to Peru. The most you can hope for is 70-80% purity generously.) is about $60 here in the states, I think that’s about £37. That’s coming from someone who traveled all over, from where it should be purest in Florida, to NC, to California. 60 is reasonable no matter where I go, though I’ve gotten it for less with heavier cut.

  One thing I will tell you, DO NOT SELL THIS SHIT. No matter how well you make it, it’s not going to be great, and you’re going to lose lots of money if you aren’t handling ounces of cocaine at a time. You mentioned a gram. That’s personal amounts, even a ball is personal to the right addict. You’d need quite a bit in order to get your money’s worth, so just smoke it and let us know when you find out it’s not a worthwhile high. I really hope you do realize that, it’s toxic. I’d much rather stick cocaine up my butt and have a longer, more intense coke high than smoke crack.

  Be careful, be easy, and I didn’t tell you nothin’.

  Oh how I wish you could get good coke on the uk for under 40 quid. gbp but sadly if you want to weirdly coke in the UK you will have to shell out at least £120 – £180 but it’s like they say you get what you pay for peeps

  I have made some really nice rock using bicarb but it does take patience and knowledge ammonia is better if you can stand the smell :)))

  Mix the coke with a little less baking soda and plenty of water in a test tube fireproof. Heat on stove swirling, swirling , swirling. You will see a yellowish ball ball start to form. This is your crack. Once you have your ball shock the tube with cold water. This will solidify the ball. Keep swirling the clod water until the ball starts to clink. pour the water onto a paper towel and you have your rock. The amount that “comes back” depends on the purity of your blow.Have patience. Let your rock dry. It’s now ready to smoke. I recommend a metal hash pipe. fill bowl with clean long cigarette ash. Sprinkle your crushed rock on top. Knock your socks off. Cover bowl with paper. There may be another hit left.

  I love how so many people get all touchy or want to share their judgment on a kid for wanting to taste that glorious taste…nothing like it. and hearing that crack and sizzle as you bring the flame to the rock. oh yeah…. and then its over. You will become instantly dumb and it won’t be as good ever again…well wait a couple days and it will. You must have will-power and set yourself some rules and follow your own rules. Have fun man, it is awesome. Its almost a right of passage to get all fucked up, strung out, and broke….but then you pull your self up, learn, set rules YOUR rules, and stick to them… Drugs are glorious and fun, and the only way to deal with reality, just make sure you go to work every day and keep your priorities in order. Well, I guess I did the same exact thing….