Extracting nicotine

[Psi_Locybe]

Err... hi.

  Doesn't the '-ine' in 'nicotine' indicate that it's an alkaloid?  Wouldn't A/B be the best way to go, with the proper safety measures (i.e. treat the shit kinda like LSD, don't spill 500ml of supersaturated nicotine solution on yourself)?

  If I remember correctly, nicotine oxidizes readily into a brownish liquid, reminiscent of, well, a nicotine stain... if you wish to avoid this, you might want to -store- it like LSD, too.

  Last I checked, the average cigarette yielded about 1mg via standard analysis, when smoked... so 1/4 cigarette would be about 250 mics... yeah, micrograms...

  I've actually been looking into this a bit myself - I'm more of a junkie than you describe yourself to be.  The tobacco companies usually convert it to its free base anyways, just so you know the starting place... make 1 drop = 250 mics, (or for me, about 1-2 mg), keep away from heat, light, and oxygen (isn't it ironic that 'party stores' sell helium?), drop it in a base/oil pipe (often called by the horribly uneducated 'crackpipes' or 'crankpipes' - there's SO much more out there in this world than just one or two things...)

  Try not to kill yourself.  Most of the rush is the nicotinic dopaminergenic response - prefrontal cortex, I think... there's a nice sedation from the beta-2 nicotinic acetylcholergens - nicotine and cytisine share nearly the same mode of operation, here... check out a crystallized broom, sometime, if you want to see it without dopamine. 

  Peace.
Rev. Psi Locybe, insane alchemist.

[Chromic]

The approach I took was to extract with DCM, dissolve in water, filter, then use as is.

The average nicotine content of tobacco is 3-4%. The average cigarette is about 400mg of tobacco, so it contains about 12-16mg of nicotine. Most is destroyed on burning, so only about 1mg reaches you. My spray delivers somewhere around 5mg. To most people, even smokers, it will make them queasy. It still doesn't give a good rush tho... most nicotine nasal spray delivers 0.5mg. I want to design something that has the hand-to-mouth and also works by inhalations. I'd love suggestions!

[DiMethyl]

I saw a murder mystery once where someone did a nicotine
extraction on a few cigars.
He then took some of the extract up in a syringe and
injected the victims cigarettes with the syringe.
After they dried, they contained a lethal dose of
nicotine.
Needless to say, the victim lit up a cigarette--took 3
big hits--and then fell over dead.
Columbo I think it was.

[alchemy_bee]

Could one simply buy nicotine from a chem supply company?
Can a bee be visa vis its entity when half a bee philosophically must ipso facto half not be?

[Chromic]

Yeah, I'm sure nicotine could be bought from larger suppliers, and specially ordered from smaller ones. However, my question is on how to extract it.

I'd also like to add that I've tried to extract with acidic water, strain, filter with cloth, then basify and extract with DCM. This method did not work and resulted in a really bad emulsion. It is interesting to note that when one acidifies a solution of tobacco that the smell of nicotine disappears! It smells like tea.  

So to sum it up, this method seems to work OK:
- 20g clear household ammonia
- 50g tobacco
- cover with DCM

stir/reflux for a while (do not use a flask as it clumps!), strain away tobacco plant debris, distill off DCM. Add water, filter. This gives a brownish liquid.

However, I've also further processed it by taking the extract acidifying, washing with DCM, basifying and extracting into DCM. Then distilling it off, and adding water gave a good clear clean nicotine solution. The recovery of the A/B was somewhere around 50%.

[Fully_Auto]

WAIT! This info is straight from a manual I have which teaches you how to assassinate your fellow man. "Nicotine is a terrible poison. One drop of pour nicotine has been knows to kill in as little as 15 minuets .it is great to put a few drops in an opponents shot glass and make a bottoms up toast to senator fullbright it's taste is pretty well covered by wine, especially sweet wine. It's not so good for drinks that have to be sipped or savored. Few poisons are. You can get pure nicotine form the kind of snuff that comes in round, flat boxes. Pour it into a water glass and add just enough water to cover it all. After about 24 hours pour the mess in to a handkerchief that has been stuffed in to another glass. Then lift out the handkerchief and twist the edges so that the snuff forms a ball. Continue twisting until all of the liquid is squeezed out. Pour the liquid into a small saucepan and put it on a low fire. When the liquid has evaporated to bout a tee spoon of thick syrup it is finished. It is best to dilute with enough water so it will easily leave a medicine dropper. A few drops should do the trick. " The next reference is an old army trick. Soldiers used it to make them selves sick more often than killing themselves. "Nicotine is also a good way to commit suicide if you are a prisoner. Just collect a hand full of cigarette buts and strip the paper off if you're a neat person. Soak them for several hours in water if possible. If you're being watched you can slip them into your coffee. At the last minute it's best to gulp the whole thing down. Best to do it on an empty stomach. If you keep your mouth shut for a few minuets even if they pump your stomach it'll be too late." I also have an extensive back round in pathology and have done quite a bit of research in to poisons. I think you should just quit cold turkey. Many of my friends have done this and with a little support it can be done. If you're serious about doing this I must warn you many almost all of the people who die by accidental poisoning don't know what's going on and die in confused stuper. When they make their way to the coroner’s office they have looks of absolute terror on their faces. PLEASE don't attempt this unless you know what you're doing!
The Ultimate Weapon Can't be controlled, banned or confiscated. Your weapon's your mind.