From which plant is cocaine traditionally extracted?

From which plant is cocaine traditionally extracted?

• A. Coca
• B. LSD
• C. Heroin
• D. Marijuana

Answer: (A)

Cocaine is traditionally extracted from the coca plant. Specifically, the leaves of the coca shrub (Erythroxylum coca and closely related species) contain the cocaine alkaloid, which has been cultivated and processed for centuries in the Andean region. The plant’s leaves are processed to concentrate the alkaloid and produce cocaine in refined forms. The other options refer to different drugs rooted in other plants or sources: LSD is linked to ergot-containing fungi, heroin comes from the opium poppy, and marijuana comes from cannabis.

Cocaine is traditionally extracted from the coca plant. Specifically, the leaves of the coca shrub (Erythroxylum coca and closely related species) contain the cocaine alkaloid, which has been cultivated and processed for centuries in the Andean region. The plant’s leaves are processed to concentrate the alkaloid and produce cocaine in refined forms. The other options refer to different drugs rooted in other plants or sources: LSD is linked to ergot-containing fungi, heroin comes from the opium poppy, and marijuana comes from cannabis.