Once upon a time… Cocaine was labeled as being the drug-of-choice of the Wealthy or Well-to-do!  This being a result of the high cost of the drug, & the fact that one can use so very much of it.  Another reason came to be, when the general drug culture discovered the art of "Free Basing", or removing the impurities and using a pipe to smoke only the nearly pure Cocaine!  As the drug culture evolved, & with the availability of the "Internet", all of the information one could ever want to acquire about Drugs became right at our fingertips, so to speak.  The early "Free-Basers" played a role in the development of "Crack" Cocaine.  Crack is cocaine that has not been neutralized by an acid to make the hydrochloride salt. This form of cocaine comes in a rock crystal that can be heated and its vapors smoked. The term "crack" refers to the crackling sound heard when it is heated.  As the market for drugs expanded, in the '60s & '70s, becoming larger and larger, more & more "Middle-men" became necessary to meet the extraordinary demand.  Many middle-class citizens began to realize the potential for financial success in a market that didn't require "advertising capital" or "credit standing" with financial institutions.  By presenting a market to "Traffickers", displaying character of social acceptability, & assuring isolation for them, often under threat of physical harm, the middlemen, or "Dealers", grew in numbers, often including college students, skilled craftsmen, government employees & many others never before having been a substantial part of the Drug Culture.  They in-turn, introduced drugs to social groups who had previously known little or nothing about acquiring drugs.  Marijuana, being viewed as no more or even less harmful than Alcohol, became a primary "Gateway" drug, & the "Dealers" of it expanded, including Cocaine on their "Menu" of "goodies" they could profit from.  Cocaine no longer was the "rich man's  drug" as the law of supply and demand brought down the price.  The main problem was no longer the price, but amount one could consume.  The $20 bag or rock can very easily be used 5 to 20 times daily.  Cocaine also began to invade the demographic customarily regarded as a heroin market, including prostitutes supplied by pimps or low end "street dealers", and white & blue collar workers who like the speed effect of the drug!