Talk:Coca

Legality

In what countries is it legal to grow coca? Is it only the leaf that is illegal? Are all parts of the plant illegal? Does the drug schedule cover the seeds and the berries and the fruits, and the roots? Is it ok to order seeds of coca from ebay

Don't give legal opinions unless you are a lawyer. When in doubt, ask a lawyer. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.30.108.12 (talk) 14:54, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.81.4.138 (talk) 04:18, 15 October 2008 (UTC)

Nonsensical

Some anesthetics such as Novocaine are derived from the coca plant.

Novocaine (procaine) is NOT derived from coca. It is entirely synthetic.Nomad57 17:30, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

The LD50 of coca extract is 3450 mg/kg, however, the LD50 of the extract based on its cocaine content is 31.4 mg/kg, indicating that the coca leaf contains constituents other than cocaine that may contribute to a toxic effect of the plant.

A higher LD50 (lethal dose to 50% of population) means the substance is LESS toxic. This is saying "it takes a lot of the plant extract to kill someone. It takes very little of the cocaine part of the extract to kill someone. Therefore, the plant must have something in it that's more toxic"Lesqual 05:49, 4 August 2006 (UTC)

Obsolete

These paragraphs look obsolete:

In the Kew Bulletin for January 1889 is an account of the history and botany of the plant, which has been so long under cultivation in South America that its original home is doubtful.

As the result of this cultivation, numerous forms have arisen.

The writer distinguishes from the typical Peruvian form with pointed leaves a variety novo-granatense, from New Granada, which has smaller leaves with a rounded apex.

The plant is now cultivated in the West Indies, India, Sri Lanka, Java and elsewhere.

The preparations of coca leaves are incompatible with certain drugs which might often be prescribed in combination with them, such as salts of mercury, menthol and mineral acids, which latter decompose cocaine into benzoic acid and ecgonine.

If this information can be confirmed from more recent sources, we can reintroduce it.

-- Viajero 21:56, 31 Jul 2003 (UTC)

"The Coca-Cola Company buys 115 tons of coca leaf from Peru and 105 tons from Bolivia per year, which it uses as an ingredient in its Coca-Cola formula (famously a trade secret). The cocaine itself does not end up in the drink nowadays, however, and is generally sold to the pharmaceutical industry where it is used for various surgical procedures." If Coca Cola suposedly buys it to use it in its formula, how come it doesn't end in the drink itself?

Cocaine is merely a single chemical ingredient in coca leaves. One would gather from this that Coca Cola uses other ingredients from the coca leaves for flavoring rather than cocaine.

I beleive that the leaves are "de-cocainized." The cocaine is sold for use in anaesthetics and apparently cough syrups (that's what was said in coca-cola's talk page). I would imagine the DEA makes sure it goes somewhere legit... I never knew cough syrups could have cocaine in them. I'm sure if not there, the DEA has the cocaine destroyed. As for the early years, cocaine was probably used for both the taste and the stimulant effect, same thing as caffeine nowadays (of course caffeine is a much weaker drug and doesn't have any euphoric effect, and is thus legal)--AK7 10:07, 23 January 2006 (UTC)

The proper translation of "coca no es cocaína" is "coca is not cocaine," so I have changed the author's paraphrase. Kemet 9 Jan 2006.

exportation of plant

Drug Enforcement Administration - D.E.A.

--AK7 10:14, 23 January 2006 (UTC)

Merger of Coca tea

Coca tea is a relatively short article, and much of the information on health benefits seems as if it would apply to coca consumed in the traditional manner (chewing) as well. It seems it would be best incorporated into the "Traditional Uses" section here. Please comment on this proposal. (forgot to sign original comment) Choess 23:06, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

I agree with your assessment. Though of course the proper length of the Coca tea article is a matter of debate itself at the moment. -- Veyklevar 09:26, 24 February 2006 (UTC)

I believe this article should be merged with the coca section. -- Ukiemob 13:26, 24 February 2006 (UTC)

I concur. Merge the articles. Helzagood 12:47, 17 March 2006 (UTC)

coca-cola <3

Coca Sek Controversy Section Cleanup

This section of the article has some serious bias that needs to be corrected. Things like "gaining the respect it deserves" have to be edited. I don't know enough about this controversy to do it myself, but someone who does should see if they can make some changes.

Tone of the historical references

I'm a little concerned that phrases like "_Even today_, chewing coca leaves is a common sight ..." are non-neutral and/or patronizing, implying that this custom should be expected to have died out. Any objection to editing those?

Also, the article says Coca-Cola "used to buy" coca leaf for flavoring ingredients; I understood (according to the article on Coca-Cola) that they still do.Ckeavney (talk) 19:04, 26 November 2007 (UTC)

Reorganization proposed

I have been working (off-line) on a significant reorganization of this article. It seems clear that different sources have been pulled together and the same information is repeated in different places. I propose to rearrange the sections, combine some paragraphs, delete some of the statements that are unsourced and dubious, add a few sources and references to other related Wikipedia articles.

Ckeavney (talk) 18:51, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

How about removing the "balance" tag now?

This is my first significant edit on Wikipedia. I have combined paragraphs that covered the same subject, moved others around, and deleted some dubious or slanted statements (including references to Shakespeare, Queen Victoria, Pope John Paul II, Bill Gates, and Princess Anne, and nutritional claims that seemed doubtful). I hope I have improved the organization and balance of the article. Do people think we can remove the "Unbalanced" tag now? Ckeavney (talk) 03:31, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

WikiProject Food and drink Tagging

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Coca vs. Cocaine - not synonyms

"The drug was first introduced to Europe in the 16th century" and "Cocawine (of which Vin Mariani was the best-known brand) and other cocaine-containing preparations" are misleading in that coca by itself is not a drug, and though wines that contained coca naturally also contained cocaine, to call them "cocaine-containing preparations" is misleading. "These products became illegal in most countries outside of South America in the early 20th century, after the addictive nature of cocaine was widely recognized." This also seems to make coca and cocaine synonymous. There should probably be some sort of explanation that though the reason they became illegal is because of fear of addiction to cocaine, it should be noted that products that simply used coca as an ingredient should not be frivolously lumped in with products that contained pure cocaine, even though that is what the US government erroneously did.Kunderscoreuy (talk) 23:23, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Psychoactive Effect

Un-Known Ckeavney (talk) 03:51, 22 May 2010 (UTC)

Cocaine-in-Coca-Cola

Myth Kernow (talk) 08:29, 15 July 2010 (UTC)