Coca Facts

Coca (Erythroxylum coca Lam., Erythroxylaceae) is a flowering shrub native to the Andes whose leaves contain the stimulant alkaloid cocaine. It blocks the brain's dopamine recycling system, flooding reward circuits and producing the plant's stimulant and euphoric effects.^[1]

Subjective effects include stimulation, euphoria, appetite suppression, increased confidence, and local numbness in the mouth and throat. The experience varies enormously by preparation: leaf chewing produces mild, sustained alertness comparable to strong tea, while smoked cocaine delivers a brief, overwhelming rush followed by rapid craving.

Cocaine carries significant abuse liability and cardiovascular toxicity — including risk of heart attack, arrhythmia, and sudden cardiac death.^[2] The illicit supply is heavily contaminated: levamisole adulterates an estimated 69–80% of US cocaine, causing blood disorders independent of cocaine's own effects,^[3] and fentanyl contamination is increasingly common.