Keith Richards

I prepared two equal piles of about eight grams [of Merck pharmaceutical cocaine] each for Keith [Richards] and myself . . . . I made two lines, grabbed a straw and with swift action snorted my eight grams. "Now let's see if you can do that."  In my entire adult life I had never, ever seen anyone indulging in a quantity of this magnitude.  Keith looked, stared, grabbed the straw and duplicated my effort with no difficulties. . . .

Pharmaceutical cocaine cannot be compared in any way to cocaine produced in Central or South America.  It is pure, does not bring on depression or lethargy.  A totally different type of euphoria, one of creativity, exists immediately when it is absorbed by the central nervous system  There are absolutely no withdrawal symptoms.

(From Keith Richards' Life.  The speaker is Freddie Sessler, an old friend of Keith's.  The incident took place at Sessler's home in Dobbs Ferry, NY.  Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, baby!)