# Where does the coke go? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [July 28, 2005, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-coke-go/314566 "2005-07-28T12:40:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flyingjamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/13edae/32.png) [@flyingjamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyingjamus)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-coke-go/314566/1 "2005-07-28T12:40:24Z")
In the column about Coca-Cola containing cocaine ([Here](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_033.html)) , Cecil writes that > [@](#): > > Shortly thereafter Coke quietly switched from fresh to “spent” coca leaves (i.e., what’s left over after the cocaine has been removed). Where do they get the “spent” leaves? Do they buy them from cocaine manufacturers? Or do they just extract the coke from the leaves themselves, sell it to drug dealers and use the soft drink as a cover and a money laundry (Obviously)? Either way, it’s weird. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-coke-go/314566/2 "2005-07-28T14:43:10Z")
> [@flyingjamus](#): > > In the column about Coca-Cola containing cocaine ([Here](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_033.html)) , Cecil writes that > > Where do they get the “spent” leaves? Do they buy them from cocaine manufacturers? Or do they just extract the coke from the leaves themselves, sell it to drug dealers and use the soft drink as a cover and a money laundry (Obviously)? > > Either way, it’s weird. There are (or at least were) legitimate uses for cocaine. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-coke-go/314566/3 "2005-07-28T14:59:04Z")
> [@John W. Kennedy](#): > > There are (or at least were) legitimate uses for cocaine. Yes but there is a lot of Cola sold in the world. I would think that so much is sold that the legitimate uses for these leftovers come nowhere near using it up. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-coke-go/314566/4 "2005-07-28T15:30:24Z")
If I recall aright, Coca-Cola dropped _all_ use of coca long, long ago, as soon as they were quite certain that it wouldn’t threaten the “Coca-” in the trademark ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-coke-go/314566/5 "2005-07-28T15:55:17Z")
It was my understanding that they still used coca, but in almost homeopathic concentrations, such that all of the Coca-Cola produced in the world in any given year used less than a kilogram of coca leaves. The legitimate uses of cocaine (it’s processed into many other drugs) would almost have to be sufficient to account for this paltry amount. ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-coke-go/314566/6 "2005-08-01T02:55:28Z")
[This may answer some of your questions](http://www.peruconnections.com/inkatea/legal.html); it’s perfectly legal to have \*mate de coca \*in the US, I brought a box home myself from Peru.