Coca-Cola Almost Contained Cocaine

When pharmacist John Pemberton first formulated his famous beverage in 1886, he was marketing it not as a simple refreshment, but as a patent medicine. Billed as a "nerve tonic" that could cure a variety of ailments, its name was a direct nod to its two key stimulant ingredients: extract from the kola nut for caffeine, and extract from the coca leaf. In the late 19th century, the small amount of cocaine alkaloids naturally present in the coca leaf was not viewed with the alarm it is today; instead, it was a common ingredient in tonics and elixirs, believed to have medicinal benefits.

As public perception of the drug shifted and concerns over addiction grew, the company began to quietly reduce and ultimately eliminate the psychoactive component from its recipe, a process completed by 1903. The story doesn't end there, however. To maintain the drink's complex and secret flavor profile, The Coca-Cola Company still relies on the coca leaf. In a unique arrangement with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, a New Jersey chemical plant operated by the Stepan Company is the only commercial entity in the country legally allowed to import coca leaves. They process the leaves to extract the cocaine for legitimate pharmaceutical use, and the remaining de-cocainized leaf matter is then sold to Coca-Cola for its iconic flavoring.