Cocaine is derived from coca leaves which are chemically treated and processed to become the powdered white substance sold as cocaine. However, the cocaine purchased by end users on the street often contains a variety of other harmful substances that they may not be aware of, and as little as 20% pure cocaine. These additives can lead to allergic reactions and in some cases overdose.
We have broken down the cocaine production process to demonstrate what goes into cocaine and how harmful additives are added throughout.
- Cocaine is made by subjecting leaves of the coca plant to multiple complex stages of chemical processes to eventually produce pure cocaine and its derivatives (crack cocaine). Coca leaves are harvested, mixed with substances (e.g., nitric acid) and treaded to extract coca paste, and then coca paste is crystallized and purified to make cocaine.
- One coca leaf contains 1% of cocaine. A coca leaf picker will be paid per ‘arroba’, a measurement of approximately 11.5 kilos. It takes around 12 arrobas of coca leaves (138 kg) to make one kilo of coca paste.
- To maximize profit, dealers typically extend cocaine supply with cutting agents (e.g., baking soda, asbestos) or boost their product’s psychoactive effects with additional drugs (e.g., amphetamines, fentanyl).
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Where does cocaine come from?
Cocaine is produced from the leaves of the coca plant (Erythroxylon coca lam). Plantations of coca spanning hectares of land are often found in Colombia and other parts of South America such as Guatemala and Peru.
Street names for cocaine |
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| Other commonly used terms for cocaine are coke, crack. coca, blow, coca, snow, and flake. |
How is cocaine made?
Cocaine goes on a vast and highly illegal journey before it reaches users. Many users do not know where their cocaine has come from, how it was made, and what other substances have found their way into it by the time it reaches them.
The cocaine production process can be broken down into the following stages:
1: Harvesting at coca tree plantations
A single plantation may contain around 12,000 coca plants and a plantation owner will have workers who harvest leaves from the shrubs.
One coca leaf contains 1% of cocaine. A coca leaf picker will be paid by ‘arroba’, a measurement of 11.5 kilos approx.[1] One arroba earns a picker 69,000 Colombian pesos, equivalent to $16 and most pickers can produce an arroba of coca leaves in a day. Though this may seem low, it is above the average wage (in Colombia) and attracts many people to undertake this illegal activity.[1]
2: Treading the coca leaves
The harvested coca leaves are transported to a treatment facility or lab, often a rudimentary shack hidden in the jungle. The leaves are placed in a large trough and a mixture of water and nitric acid, and over the course of three days, plantation workers will ‘work’ the mixture of coca leaves similar to how wine is traditionally made.[1]
3: Extracting coca paste
Once the leaves have been treaded, the liquid that is produced are added with lime and gasoline and placed into barrels for cooking. The chemical reaction produces a syrup-like substance. The thick syrup mixture is then placed in a muslin or other fabric and squeezed until all moisture has been removed. What remains is the coca paste, which contains between 30 and 90% pure cocaine.
It takes around 12 arrobas (138 kilos) of coca leaves to make one kilo of coca paste. Coca paste is estimated to cost around $800 per kilo.[1]
4: Purifying cocaine
The cocaine paste or cocaine base is transported from the jungle to a buyer. Buyers use solvents to dissolve and crystallize the cocaine base, with excess substances removed to create bricks of pure cocaine, or the basis for powder cocaine. This process takes several days for the coca mule and they run a high risk of being captured by the military or murdered by rival mules for their product. Drug cartels repackage the cocaine and sell it to drug dealers.
5: Making crack cocaine
In some areas, crack cocaine is more popular than powdered cocaine and drug dealers can make their product go much further with crack addicts. The powdered cocaine is cooked further in order to remove the hydrochloride (salt) from it, producing a rock-like substance after cooling that is typically known as crack cocaine.
Read here to learn more about how crack is made and why it is more addictive than powder cocaine.
Cocaine distribution all over the world
Large-scale drug dealers will either sell their product directly to users (often in larger quantities like 8 balls of coke) or to smaller-scale dealers, who will then often cut the cocaine again, leading to an even greater risk of overdose or other health problems.
Global trafficking
Drug bosses or cartels in cities such as Medellin typically purchase coca paste, where they crystallize and form it into bricks. Once crystallized, the cocaine's value will rise to $2,500 per kilo.[1]
It is then repackaged and ready to be sold to drug dealers across the globe, often smuggled across the border to the US or taken overseas to Europe via Spain. Drug traffickers use increasingly sophisticated methods to get their products to their clients, causing police and military organizations to spend millions each year developing new methods to catch them.
Cutting and distribution
Once the pure cocaine has been smuggled to its destination, it will be delivered to whoever has purchased it. At this stage, the price of a kilo of cocaine rises again, often reaching in excess of $30,000.[1] From here, pure cocaine is often heavily cut with other substances in order to increase the quantity and ultimately, the profit. This process often creates a variety of types of cocaine with their own effects.
Pure cocaine can be cut with anything from baby aspirin to hayfever tablets. Often, these substances don’t have any distinguishing smell or taste and sometimes will replicate the sensations coke gives (e.g. numb gums). It can also be cut with other drugs, such as amphetamines or benzodiazepines, which can lead to severe health complications such as heart palpitations, seizures, and overdose.
Additives in cocaine
The leaves of the coca plant go through a rigorous processing method before they become the white powdered substance. Some of the many additional substances and chemicals used in the making of cocaine are:
- Gasoline
- Lime
- Alcohol
- Cheaper stimulants
- Baking soda
- Levamisole
- Thiam
These are just some of the harmful additives that may make their way into cocaine before the end user. What ends up in the final product can also depend on what variation of cocaine a person buys.
Cocaine cutting agents & added chemicals
The cocaine that is purchased at street level by users is rarely, if ever, pure. A report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime found that cocaine in the UK was less than 40% pure on average.[2] This means that it is cut with a wide range of other substances to make the product go further, ultimately bringing more money in for cocaine dealers. Some of these substances are mostly harmless but some can cause adverse health reactions.
Some common cocaine additives include:[3]
- Levamisole - Levamisole is used to kill parasitic worms in livestock. When ingested by humans it can cause a lowered white blood cell which increases the risk of infection, joint pain, and skin lesions.
- Baking soda - a cooking ingredient often used to make cakes rise.
- Tyramine - a food ingredient that is mostly harmless but can cause headaches for people taking MAOI antidepressants.
- Quinine - Found in tonic, it is added for its bitter flavor
- Sodium carbonate - also known as washing powder
- Thiam - vitamin B1
- Magnesium silicate - Asbestos
- Magnesium sulfate - Epsom salts
Other studies of seized cocaine have found traces of calcium (from baby formula), magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and magnesium.[7]
Drugs added to cocaine
In addition to substances added to stretch out the quantity of cocaine, some substances are added to change the psychoactive effects the drug gives. Most dealers do this to get an edge on competitors among their clients, adding other addictive drugs to make them more popular with users. This not only leads to higher rates of dependence and addiction but also to an increased risk of health complications and overdose.
Common drugs added to cocaine:
- Cheaper stimulants - caffeine, Adderall, and Concerta are often mixed with cocaine as they are cheaper and provide similar if milder, effects.[3]
- Amphetamines - meth and crystal meth are sometimes cut into powdered cocaine to boost the psychostimulant effects and cause dependence in users.
- Synthetic cathinones - Flakka and bath salts have a base of synthetic cathinones that can cause intense stimulant effects and induce psychosis in some users.
- Benzodiazepines - benzos such as Xanax and Valium have been found in traces of cocaine as they replicate feelings of numbness found in pure cocaine.
- Numbing agents/local anesthetics - Pure cocaine causes numbing to the nose, mouth, and throat and heavy users will often notice if cocaine has been heavily cut if numbness doesn’t occur. Drug dealers will often add Novocaine, lidocaine, tetracaine, and other local anesthetics to trick experienced users.[13]
- Opioids - Opioids are sometimes added to cocaine as their CNS depressant properties can create a unique high in combination with stimulants. The most common opioid found in cocaine today is fentanyl, an incredibly dangerous synthetic opioid that is responsible for most drug-related overdose deaths in the US today.
These combinations are also sometimes sold as different types of cocaine, some of which can cost more than normal cocaine and are almost always more harmful.
Getting help for cocaine use disorder
The health risks of buying cocaine on the street are more prevalent today than ever before, with harmful substances such as fentanyl being regularly used as cutting agents by drug dealers. While the risk of fatal overdose should be enough to dissuade users, dependence and addiction mean that many will still use cocaine despite knowing the dangers as they feel they can’t function without it.
That is why seeking addiction treatment such as inpatient rehab or outpatient programs is so vital. Through a combination of behavioral therapy and detoxification, cocaine users can adapt to life without the substance and regain a sense of normality. Visit our rehab directory today to find cocaine use disorder treatment in your area.
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