Crank, Crystal, Tweak, Shards, Ice, and Chalk are all street names for methamphetamine, or more commonly, meth. Depending on the form purchased, the name changes, and many times, so does the appearance of the drug. There are many colors, textures, and even flavors of meth, and different ways to abuse it.
Considering the above information, if you have ever wondered what does meth look like, the answer varies. Identifying meth is made easier when you know what you are looking for. Continue below for more information on the varied look, smell, and even taste of meth.
Common Meth Forms
Methamphetamines, or meth, comes in many forms and can often be mistaken for cocaine in powdered form. Powdered meth ranges from a snowy white to off-white most often but occasionally comes in a beige. The powdered form can be swallowed, snorted, or dissolved in either water or alcohol for injection into a vein.
Crystal meth looks like tiny pieces of glass or crystals. The appearance is sometimes compared to rock salt. Crystal meth is produced by processing powdered meth in alcohol or acetone and commonly appears as white or bluish chunky crystals. Crystal meth is smoked in a pipe made of glass or other homemade pipes, such as modified soda cans.
Easy to conceal and use with suspicion, meth tablets or pills are small reddish-orange or green pills most often marked with the letters WD. These tablets are mixed with caffeine to elevate the effects of methamphetamine. The pills can be used orally or crushed to snort or dissolve and inject.
Meth Stinks
So now you know the answer to what does meth look like, but what does meth smell like? For clarification, pure meth has no detectable odor. The meth that is bought on the street, however, has been processed with any number of chemicals and, depending on what was used in production, can smell very rank. Toxic chemicals used in processing often leave behind the smell of ammonia or cat urine, while other reports range from burnt plastic or rotten eggs.
The Flavor of Meth
First and foremost, tasting meth is not recommended as a way to detect the drug. That being said, the flavor of meth is reported to be that of rotten eggs. Smoking meth also reportedly leaves behind a bitter chemical taste of burnt plastic, ammonia, and rotten eggs.
The exception would be the rare flavored meth that has been combined with candy-like flavors, chocolate, or peanut butter. One such popular flavored meth was named Strawberry Quick and was found regionally in selected areas of the United States rather than in widespread distribution.
Know The Basics
Just understanding a few of the above basics will help you discern if there is meth in your surroundings. When considering what does meth look like, remember that methamphetamine can come in a variety of colors and forms. Pure meth is unscented but processed with a variety of chemicals; meth always has an unpleasant smell and leaves the user often emitting unpleasant bodily odors as well. The fumes from meth are highly toxic, and if exposed, bystanders report headaches, dizziness, and eye/nose/throat irritation.
