When was cocaine isolated from the coca plant?
Friedrich Gaedcke isolated the active alkaloid from fresh leaves in 1855. Albert Niemann later refined this process and named it cocaine.
Questions about Cocaine
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where does the Erythroxylum coca plant grow naturally?
The coca plant grows in the high-altitude regions of South America. Farmers in Bolivia Peru and Colombia cultivate coca on small plots scattered across mountainous terrain.
What medical uses does cocaine have today?
Modern medicine still uses cocaine drops to diagnose Horner syndrome by testing pupil dilation. A 2017 FDA approval granted Goprelto for intranasal use in diagnostic procedures and another formulation called Numbrino received approval in January 2020 for similar purposes.
How many hectares were cleared between 2001 and 2004 due to coca cultivation?
Environmental destruction accompanied large-scale cultivation with 97,622 hectares cleared between 2001 and 2004 alone. Farmers use unregulated pesticides that poison local ecosystems through direct exposure or food chain contamination.
When did the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs require countries to criminalize recreational cocaine use?
The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs requires countries to criminalize recreational cocaine use since 1961. The United States classifies cocaine as Schedule II under the Controlled Substances Act passed in 1970.