How Cocaine Is Made and Its Dangers

Cocaine has long been glamorized in movies, television, and music, however there is nothing glamorous about this drug. The continued use of cocaine can lead to serious problems, including tolerance, dependence, and eventually addiction.

This article will talk more about cocaine by shining a light on how dangerous (and potentially deadly) the use of it can be. Read on to learn more about production, distribution, and those in the cocaine trade, as well as the devastating effects and impacts the continued use of this substance can include.

What Is Cocaine?

Also known by street names such as coke, blow, or snow, cocaine is derived from the leaves of the coca plant, which are processed with a variety of different chemicals to create powdered cocaine.¹

Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant drug that comes in the form of a white, granular powder.² People consume cocaine it by snorting it, rubbing it on their gums, or injecting it.^1,3 Additionally, crack cocaine, which is simply cocaine that comes in rock form, can be smoked.^1,3

Regardless of form, however, cocaine’s addictive qualities can cause people to use it repeatedly, which, over time, can cause changes in the brain that may affect how it functions.³

Effects of Cocaine

Cocaine can produce both short and long-term effects when used. These effects can vary depending on factors such as method of administration, how frequently it is being used, and in what amount. Some of the more immediate effects of cocaine use can include:^1,3

• Euphoria.
• Increased alertness.
• Rapid heartbeat.
• Raised body temperature.
• Talkativeness.
• Restlessness.
• Irritability.
• Pupil dilation.
• Decreased appetite.

Where Does Cocaine Come From?

Nearly all cocaine that reaches America comes from Colombia and is illegally trafficked across the US-Mexico border and through legal ports of entry.² Cocaine is also trafficked into the U.S. from Bolivia and Peru, two other countries where cocaine is also mass produced.^4,5

According to the United Nations, production of cocaine in Columbia increased by 53 percent in 2023, marking the 10th year in a row where Colombia has seen a rise in cocaine production.⁶ Additionally, the cultivation of the coca plant in Colombia increased by 10 percent in same year, taking up a whopping 253,000 hectares (or 625,176 acres) of land.⁶

In these countries, cocaine is extracted and processed from coca plants, which thrive in the natural environment along the ridges of the Andes mountains in South America and in lowland jungles.^1,3,4

While Colombia is the largest producer of cocaine in the world, they often have to harvest significantly more coca plants to produce similar amounts of cocaine than Bolivia or Peru, as their coca plants tend to grow more cocaine.^4,5 Coca plants are grown, refined and processed locally, often in protected sites such as native reserves, national parks, and areas along the border, which are off-limits to aerial spraying efforts to kill the crops.^4,5

What Is Cocaine Made Of?

Cocaine is 1 of 14 alkaloids that naturally occur in the coca plant.⁴ Out of over 200 plant species, there are only 2 types of coca leaf that contain enough cocaine alkaloid for cocaine production.⁴ Generally, coca leaves can be harvested 3-6 times a year.⁴ However, in some areas, the coca leaf can be harvested up to 8 times a year, depending on where the plant grows and the specific species.⁴

How Is Cocaine Produced?

Generally speaking, all cocaine is manufactured in a similar manner. However, there are often variations in the types of chemicals used to produce it, such as acids, solvents, oxidants, and reducing and drying agents.⁷

The process of producing cocaine begins by harvesting the leaves of the coca plant and then soaking them in various chemicals to extract the cocaine base.^1,7 The extracted base is then drained, dried, and mixed with additional chemicals and soaked to extract all alkaloids.^1,7 Once completed, the base is in paste-like form, so it is drained, heated, and pressed into brick-like shapes to be sent out for distribution.^1,7

While there are some core ingredients that must be included in the production of cocaine, there are several that can be used interchangeably.¹⁷ Manufacturers may utilize different chemicals than one another based on factors such as availability, financial limitations, and personal preferences. Some of these chemicals include:^8,17

• Hydrochloric acid.
• Sulfuric acid.
• Potassium permanganate.
• Sodium permanganate.
• Methyl isobutyl ketone.
• Calcium chloride.
• Ethyl acetate.

For decades, federal regulations throughout the U.S. and Europe have been in effect to target the movement and utilization of these and other chemicals commonly used in the mass production of cocaine.^7,8

On average, about 7.9 kilograms (or 17.4 pounds) of cocaine can be produced per every 2.5 acres of land in Colombia.⁹ It was reported by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime that in 2021, one kilogram of cocaine cost approximately $1,215.¹⁰

How Is Cocaine Distributed?

Once cocaine is processed, distribution occurs. Distribution is a highly complex, ever-changing operation that involves a variety of different people, multiple shipment methods, supplies and equipment, and so on. The majority of cocaine ends up in the United States, though some of it is sent to Europe, Australia, Africa, and Asia.^12,13

Cocaine is typically moved out of Colombia and into the United States as follows:¹³

1. Cocaine farmers sell the coca leaves or paste to local illicit laboratories.
2. Operators of the lab (usually farmers or criminal trafficking groups) refine the drug into cocaine.
3. The cocaine is then sold to local trafficking organizations who transport and sell it to a transnational drug trafficking organization such as a cartel.
4. The cartel then contracts another group to ship the cocaine to traffickers in Mexico.
5. Mexican traffickers smuggle the cocaine into the United States, typically by land.

Once the cocaine has reached the United States, Mexican traffickers sell it to American wholesale dealers.

From there, the process of distribution goes as follows:¹³

1. Wholesale dealers sell it to mid-level drug dealers
2. Mid-level drug dealers sell to low-level drug dealers
3. Low-level drug dealers sell to consumers

Cocaine dealers often employ a number of individuals to play roles during the distribution. These include holders, transporters (also called mules), delivery people, counters of cash and incoming drugs, lookouts, backup personnel, and enforcers of debt payments.¹⁴

What Is Cocaine Cut With?

Along the supply chain, cocaine is cut with adulterants to reduce its purity and create a larger profit margin.^3,12 Common cutting agents include amphetamines, baking sugars, caffeine, acetaminophen, cornstarch, flour, talcum powder and certain anesthetics.^1,2,4

Who Controls the Cocaine Trade?

The major countries in the cocaine trade include those where coca plants are grown and processed, such as Colombia, Bolivia and Peru. Countries that transport cocaine across national lines, such as Mexico or Caribbean countries including Haiti, the Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic, are also big players.^{4,5,11,12,13,15}

Colombian trafficking groups, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and ELN (National Liberation Army) guerilla groups, armed revolutionary gangs and rural bands of guerillas purchase coca leaves or coca paste from local farmers, process the product and negotiate transportation into other countries.^5,13

Mexican drug cartels, such as the Guadalajara Cartel, often transport cocaine from South America into the United States and other countries and are distributors rather than suppliers.^4,12

Mexican cartels formerly operated as junior partners for the Colombian cartels. But crackdowns on the Caribbean route and on Colombian cartels led to Mexican cartels playing a larger role in trafficking cocaine to North America. As a result, they began to collect more of the profits from the cocaine trade.¹²

Mexican cartels also operate labs in Central and South America to process coca leaves into cocaine. They have expanded their cocaine distribution efforts to Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe.¹²

Need Help With Cocaine Addiction?

If you or a loved one is struggling with a cocaine use disorder, getting help is an important start to your recovery journey. There are many cocaine addiction treatment options that may be effective for people struggling with cocaine misuse, including the following:

• for drug or alcohol addiction are those in which a person lives in the treatment facility to receive 24/7 care and support for their substance use disorder. This may include various types of individual and group therapy, detox, treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions, amenities and aftercare programs. The program may be 28 or 30 days, 60 days or 90 days long. Depending on the level of care determined by a clinician, a person may also need medically managed inpatient services, which offer 24-hour nursing care and physician care for the most acute instances of cocaine addiction and occurring medical or mental health conditions.¹⁶
• can include many of the same therapeutic offerings and services as inpatient treatment but do not require people to stay in the facility. This allows people to continue working and/or going to school while they actively pursue recovery.
• involve attending support groups that provide peer support to people as they recover from substance use disorders and other compulsive behaviors. They can help people address behavioral struggles and common triggers associated with their addiction while gaining valuable tools to take on their recovery journey.

If you or a loved one is ready to get help for cocaine addiction, American Addiction Centers is here to help. Our compassionate navigators understand the struggles associated with substance use disorders and can help you understand treatment options to make sure you choose the treatment type that meets your needs.

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