Cocaine

Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant, creating what has been described as a euphoric sense of happiness and increased energy. Though most often used recreationally for this effect, cocaine is also a topical anesthetic that is used in eye and throat surgery. Cocaine is an addictive substance, and its possession, cultivation, and distribution are illegal (for non-medicinal / non-government sanctioned purposes) in virtually all of the world, which can be at least partially attributed to United Nations Commissions and United States drug policy.

References

• Nahas, Gabriel G.: The Experimental Use of Cocaine in Human Subjects, Bulletin on Narcotics, 1990.