Albert Niemann was the first scientist to take active notice in the potency of the coca leaf back in the 1800s. He attempted to extract pure cocaine powder from coca leaves, thus establishing the turning point for the plant in Europe in 1860. American physicians learned of the pharmacological possibilities of coca and cocaine in the late 1870s and early 1880s. Articles in medical journals recommended cocaine as an all-purpose stimulant, a cure for depression, a specific for hay fever and asthma and other conditions. Nonetheless, the coca leaf has a long and varied history dating back thousands of years...

Addiction and drug overdoses have long plagued the high style and highly public lives of Hollywood. It’s hard to say if the fast paced, high style life lead to the abuse of drugs or if it’s the idea that as an actor or singer that one could be indispensable while using. Either way, it is not something new. Perhaps one may think that because those in Hollywood tend to have a wealth of money they are able to buy drugs more easily than others. Of course, no matter who you are, the effects and addictive qualities of this illegal drug are not immune from even the elite of Hollywood....

Cocaine trafficking and abuse continues to haunt and threaten the health and safety of American citizens. With the 1914 Harrison Narcotic Act initializing the illegal usage of cocaine, criminal activity and violence has increased as a result. However, this violence associated with cocaine trafficking does not compare to the rampant violence of the 1980s epidemic when the crack epidemic was at its worse. Nonetheless, the trafficking, distribution and abuse of cocaine and crack cocaine has spread from urban environments to smaller cities and suburban areas of the country, thus resulting in the threat to...

Cocaine is derived from the coca plant that has been used by inhabitants of villages throughout Peru and Bolivia for many years. They would chew on coca leaves as it was found to be the standard remedy for symptoms of hunger and cold and for two folk illnesses: el soka, a condition of weakness, fatigue, and general malaise; and el fiero, a chronic wasting illness. Albert Neimann first isolated and synthesized cocaine powder in 1860 in a pure form from the leaves of coca plants. Soon thereafter, it was used to try and cure almost all the illnesses and maladies known to man. In the form of leaf powder...

Cocaine abuse has created a huge industry in America. In fact, the U.S. cocaine market was estimated to be worth $70 billion in 2005, which is more than the total revenues of large corporations such as Starbucks. The profitability from cocaine sold in the United States holds large dividends for the illegal drug market. The United States is one of the most profitable illegal drug markets in the world. The U.S./Mexico border is the primary entry point for cocaine shipments smuggled into the United States. A majority of the U.S. cocaine supply is imported into California, Arizona, and Texas by Mexican...