| c.
3000 B.C. |
|
Coca chewing is practiced throughout South America. Coca is believed
to be a gift from God. 1 |
| 1400s |
|
Coca plantations are operated by Incas in Peru. |
| 1505 |
|
First hand accounts of coca use made their way back to Europe. Amerigo
Vespucci (1505), G Frenandez de Oviedo (1535), and Nicholas Monardes
(1565).
2 |
| Early
1500s |
|
Incan coca plantations are taken over by holders of Spanish land
grants. Spanish tax laws are revised to allow land owners to make their tax
payments in coca leaves. 2
|
| 1539 |
|
The Bishop of Cuzco tithes coca, taking 1/10 of the value of each crop
in taxes. |
| Mid
1500s |
|
Coca production in Peru expands quickly causing a glut of leaf on the
market which in turn precipitated a drop in the price of coca. 2
|
| 1574 |
|
Monardes' text on coca is first translated into other European
languages from Spanish; Latin (1574), Italian (1576), English
(1577).
2 |
| c.
1575 |
|
Forced laborors working in the Spanish silver mines were kept well
supplied with coca leaves. Roughly 8% of the Europeans living in Peru were
involved in the coca trade. 2
|
| 1662 |
|
Abraham Cowley writes a poem titled "A Legend of Coca". This is the
first independent mention of coca in English literature. |
| 1708 |
|
Coca is first mentioned in a materia medica, Institutiones
Medicae, written by German physician and botanist Herman
Boerhaave. |
| 1835 |
|
First accurate drawing of coca appears in popular English press. The
illustration by Sir William Hooker, director of the Kew gardens, was published
in Companion to the Botanical Magazine. 2
|
| c.
1850 |
|
Coca tinctures used in throat surgery. 2
|
| c.
1855 |
|
Cocaine first extracted from coca leaves. 2
|
| 1862 |
|
Merck produces 1/4 pound of cocaine. 2
|
| 1869 |
|
Seeds from the commercial variety of coca arrived at Kew
Gardens. |
| 1870 |
|
Vin Mariani (coca wine) is for sale throughout France, containing 6 mg
cocaine per ounce of wine. Exported Vin Mariani contained 7.2 mg per ounce to
compete with the higher cocaine content of American competitors. 2
|
| 1870s |
|
Parke,Davis manufactures a fluid extract of coca. 2
|
| 1876 -
1885 |
|
Race walkers in England chew coca leaves to improve their
performance. 2 |
| 1883 |
|
Merck produces 3/4 pound of cocaine. 2
|
| 1884 |
|
Cocaine's use as a local anesthetic in eye surgery is
popularized. 2 |
| 1884 |
|
Freud publishes On Coca in which he recommends the use of
cocaine to treat a variety of conditions including morphine
addiction. 2 |
| 1884 |
|
Merck produces 3,179 pounds of cocaine. 2
|
| 1886 |
|
Merck produces 158,352 pounds of cocaine. 2
|
| 1886 |
|
Coca-Cola is first introduced by John Pemberton, containing cocaine
laced syrup and caffeine. |
| Late
1880s |
|
Parke,Davis starts to manufacture refined cocaine. 2
|
| c.
1901 |
|
Coca-Cola removed coca from their formula. 2
|
| c.
1905 |
|
Snorting cocaine becomes popular. 2
|
| 1910 |
|
First cases of nasal damage from cocaine snorting are written of in
medical literature. 2 |
| 1910 |
|
First cases of nasal damage from cocaine snorting are seen in
hospitals. 2 |
| 1912 |
|
U.S. government reports 5,000 cocaine related fatalities in one
year. 2
|
| 1914 |
|
Cocaine banned in United States.
1 |
| Early
1930s |
|
Japan is the world's leading cocaine producer (23.3%) followed by the
United States (21.3%), Germany (15%), U.K. (9.9%), France (8.3%). 2
|
| c.
1976 |
|
Freebase cocaine first developed (probably in California). It would
soon be popularized by dealers and glamorized by Hollywood media. |
| 1981 |
|
Wholesale cost of 1 kg of cocaine is $55,000. 1
|
| 1984 |
|
Wholesale cost of 1 kg cocaine is $25,000. 1
|
| Mid
1980's |
|
Freebase cocaine becomes popular. |
