So, smoking "small amounts" of sodium carbonate is "apparently safe." There may have always been trace amounts carried over from freebasing with only 99.99% anhydrous IPA instead of 100%... or whatever.

My question is, PRECISELY HOW MUCH sodium carbonate is safe to smoke? There was a tragic turn of affairs in which *some*... we'll say DEFINITELY less than 0.1g... got inextricably mixed up into a 2g herb/2g spice changa blend.

But. This was not, "some invisible microscopic amount." It is not a lot. But it was certainly visible. Like a few small grains of sand. Limitations of many kinds prevented successful cleaning without significant loss of yields.

Can this be dangerous? Should the batch be abandoned? What are possible risks?

Or would it possibly just ~~*poof~~~* a bit when the flame hits the herb? Or would it be slightly harsher to smoke, but still safe?

Thanks, as always.

dont worry sodium carbonate will NOT vaporize anywhere near your lighter's temperature, so there shouldnt be any difference to the inhalation of your product

^^^ I was told the same thing about NaOH but I've found that uncleaned Spice with traces of NaOH soup is definitely nasty and harsh compared to very clean Spice. The boiling temperature of NaOH is something like 2500 Fahrenheit so it's obviously not vaporizing, but is effecting the taste and feel. I'll be interested to hear if you taste or detect a significant difference in your final product, but lye is nastier than what you're using so I'm in agreement with endlessness that you'll be fine.

but notice how completely different it is, because on one hand we are talking about pure sodium carbonate.. on another we are talking about remains of the acqueous layer that contains not only NaOH (which wont vaporize) but also bits of plant material and so on which will obviously affect the taste.

the only chance for NaOH itself (and not the mimosa soup remains) to affect what you smoke is if unvaporized solid particles come through the pipe to your mouth or something.. in this case, the act of smoking through a water bong would solve it as it would stop at the water.... But anyways since when one has mimosa soup in the final product the problem being mostly the 'other' non-lye stuff, then better wash it or recrystalize it. With sodium carbonate, not to worry

Crack cocaine users eventually get nasty throat and lung problems from smoking too much freebase made with sodium bicarbonate. I am not sure if this is a direct result of the sodium bicarbonate or the cocaine itself but either way if you know anyone whose smoked crack for a number of years their throats can get really scratchy sounding. I would expect similar problems with people inhaling sodium carbonate.

Although like endlessness said this largely depends on ones smoking technique. If smoke is somehow filtered or vaporized then the freebase should be separate from the sodium carbonate.

SWIM has put a torch directly to a pile of sodium carbonate with no apparent physical or chemical change occuring.

There may be other factors that cause these poor souls to have throat and lung problems.

Pokey

^^Pokey the Compassionate.

Thanks, everyone. I might try some by itself, and if it's harsher (I do use a magnificent water bong ), I could dilute it with a cleaner batch.

Good to know. Thanks so much!

Care, caution, attention, mindfulness... :idea:

My understanding is that the freebase product itself is what causes problems for people who smoke crack. I may be wrong, but I believe that cocaine freebase is more strongly basic than DMT freebase. Either way, the respiratory tract does not take too kindly to bases dissolving in its mucous membranes! I doubt what happened to Whitney Houston's voice is the result of sodium carbonate or bicarb -- rather, the freebase cocaine itself (and considering the kind of money she had, I doubt Bobby was buying cheap stuff with lots of carbonate or bicarb in it anyway) and vocally abusive behavior.

As for lysergify's good point that NaOH residues in the spice tend to make it noticeably harsher, those may have more to do with the aqueous stuff left that the hygroscopic NaOH holds on to, rather than to the NaOH itself.

Yea that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for correction.

so glad you posted this question mizz minxx,, i was wondering the samething this morning when i woke up....

thank you all for the good info!!!