Well, the 1990s are now with us and much has changed since the first edition. The War on Drugs, in- creasing cooperation of chemical suppliers, product li- ability-awareness, and stringent new regulations have made operating a clandestine laboratory more challenging (and profitable) than ever.
Sadly, we now live in a world where lawsuits and lobbying legislate regulations and dictate behavior in the business world. This book is sold for informational purposes only. The information contained herein is my opinion. I do not encourage anyone to break any law, or violate any local, state, federal, or international statutes, guidelines, regulations, building codes, zoning ordinances, or anything bearing a remote similarity. If you are unsure.
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of the legality of anything you do, or think of doing, or are about to think about doing, I urge you to seek out the authorities and question them!
Please understand this book concerns building and operating a laboratory it is NOT a book on drug chemistry. Don't ask me how to synthesize things. There are already many good books available in that arena. Michael Valentine Smith's Psychedelic Chemistry is one of particular merit. It could use a better index, but it's still excellent. All procedures include scientific literature refer- ences, so you can dig up the original publication. For the phenethylamine (amphetamine) class of drugs, Dr. Alexander Shulgin's Pihkal is "the book." His philosophy on drugs is illuminating too. I am also grateful to the many persons who have shown me their laboratories in recent years their ingenuity and mistakes are fully reflected in this edition. If I can be allowed to generalize, these labs seem to divide into two distinct categories. One, you just want to hurry up and get the hell out of before something blows up, or the police dynamite the door. The other kind, you just have a deep down feeling that everything is cool. There are no nasty smells, the property fits in with its surroundings, there isn't powder dried all over the counter top, scores of tin cans everywhere with remnants of "bad batches," or empty chemical containers in the trash with the labels still on them. Which category do you fall into?
I've been criticized on occasion for not presenting the reader with enough specifics. I would like to respond to this. My attempt in this book is to introduce the reader to various ways a clandestine laboratory is built and operated, with a variety of materials and situations. I have included specific examples of how these methods have worked well for myself and others. If you are a person who must have a specific diagram in front of you, listing every part and its exact specifications, as well as instructions that tell.
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instructions that tell you exactly where to buy glass jars and plastic spatulas - you'll probably be dissatisfied with this book. I would be surprised if you ever actually operate a successful clandestine laboratory. I would also guess that you were probably looking for a book that you can pick up and read that will make you an expert chemist. This hobby requires that you be resourceful. You should have things like a chemical compatibility chart on your wall for reference; and, you should be able to recognize the differences between polycarbonate, polyethylene, Teflon, etc. Such knowledge means you don't dissolve that kitchen cup you're about to pour your solution into. I've included many more sources of information in this edition. Like anything else, you will only become good at chemistry through experience. A degree in chemistry will certainly give you a flying start, but you must learn most of it through experience. Most drug manufacturing procedures fall under the category of "organic chemistry." This means simply the chemistry related to carbon com- pounds. Organic chemistry is a very seat-of-the-pants type of science. Most of the learning takes place in the laboratory, not on a chalkboard. I have many times duplicated a published procedure exactly as described down to the identical equipment, identical quantities, and same sources of the reagent chemicals - nearly always to
find a significant difference in yields, temperatures,
reaction times, etc. It is only through experience that you
learn to steer a straight path through these perplexing
moments with a solid feeling for what is correct
procedure.
And let me take a brief moment to interject something that you will probably be surprised to find in an underground-drug publication: a discussion of ethical behavior. You will of course do what you want to do, but let me enlighten you just a tiny bit about "responsibilities."
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All drugs are not created equal. You must always remem- ber that your fellow humans are trusting you greatly (sometimes ignorantly) when they ingest your creations. It's easy to look at that semi-pure powder and convince yourself it's good enough, and forgo the final rinse or recrystallization. Don't be the brown-powder fool who proclaims: "Hell, man, it never made me sick..." Many people are hypersensitive to the byproducts you neglect to remove from your batch. Of course, you have no control over the quantity people will take, if they will abuse it excessively, have a bad trip, freak out, etc. If you manufactured motorcycles, people would buy them and drive like marauders, and, eventually, someone would get hurt on a machine you made. Perhaps it was their reckless- ness, or perhaps it was that axle nut your assembler forgot to tighten. Perhaps you manufacture kitchen knives? Eventually, someone will cut themselves, even use one of them to commit suicide or murder. My point is: you simply have to do the very best that you can do, and always remember that others (many you will never meet) are trusting you greatly. You owe it to all concerned to always deliver consistent purity and dosages.
One final word on this subject: your choice of product. Exactly what are you making? Personally, I would have a big problem manufacturing crack, ice, methylfentanyl, etc., for mass distribution and consumption. These are a special breed of drugs that seem to perpetually torment the user and imprison the dealer. Leave these substances to the fools dumb enough to make them. It is my sincere hope that the information I present here is used with good intent. Clandestine chemistry can be grossly profitable. It is unfortunate that good ideals are often lost in the midst of huge profits. This book is for those wonderful people who value freedom and the human spirit above money and power. Perhaps if these people begin to voice their 5
opinions more, the day of responsible drug use, manu- facture, and control will become a reality. Enough said.
Manufacturing drugs can involve a certain degree of risk, which varies from country to country. Unfortunately, I have had several acquaintances who have lived through the nightmare of a bust. In this second edition, I share some of their "why and how" stories with you.
This edition also seems to breathe a more militant tone than the first. This is not really intentional. It is simply a reflection of the environment surrounding clandestine labs at this time. The War On Drugs, Inc. has become an entire industry, sucking up billions of dollars and feeding itself with lots of high profile media coverage. Drugs are blamed for everything: poverty, crime, AIDS, even threats to national security. Everyone has seen the crack-house busts on TV, with police agents decked out in full tactical gear and armed with automatic weapons. You've seen them storming into private homes, often with small children inside. They seem to never show one of the 45 percent that end up in no arrests. And you hear them proclaiming loudly that they're winning this "war!" The entire criminal legal system is clogged daily with thousands of minor drug- possession charges. Judges are often handing out 20 years to life for drugs while rape and violent cases settle for less than 5. Even a death penalty for drug "kingpins" has been proposed.
Well, I doubt seriously if things will change anytime soon. I have stopped spending so much time worrying about when the Drug War will be declared a truce, and I have omitted much of my bitter treatise on drug politics from the first edition.
I am not suggesting I have the answer to drug abuse. I wish only to illustrate how the present system consumes valuable resources and worsens the problem, in spite of a few good intentions.