Oral use - "Chewing" coca, in leaf form or coca teabags

[Benga]

no, "mate de coca" is not a brand. It is a name given to teabags containing ground coca leaves.
Peruvian companies, including ENACO, picked the name "mate" in the 1980's from the popular ( and national Argentine drink) caffeine rich drink "yerba mate" ( ilex paraguensis), in order to promote the sales of the less familiar "coca tea", thus giving birth to the hybrid "mate de coca".
yet "mate de coca" has nothing to do with "yerba mate" ( unless it is mixed with yerba mate, a mixture which does exists in Bolivia), nothing but the name in common.
It's a sale gimmick : mate de coca = coca tea.
this name is used by Peruvian and Bolivian companies for ground coca leaves packed in teabags (sometimes mixed with other herbs such as cat's claw etc...an ENACO speciality)

b

[Matt The Funk]

Hmmm I guess that makes sense. SWIM is peruvian and family members ussually bring the tea on the plane, or in peruvian markets. SWIM is currently out of the tea but will check next time which specific brand it is.

[mr_pyrex]

Well from what I gather from there site they say there tea contains 4 % of the alkaloid...which if my poor math skill serves me correctly that would work out to something along the lines of 100 bags of 1 gm each containing .04gms of coca available for extraction @ 100% extraction(ideal conditions)....which would produce 4gms per 100 bags meaning there is quite a bit of coca available and proabably why they are illegal to get since it sounds as a viable method of obtaing coca at least worth while instead of geting punked by the crap of the street. Like I said my math may be off but testing will reveal if things are what they seem to bee. Pyrex out on the subject ;-)

[Benga]

your maths is off. 4 grams is what one might get from a successful extraction of 1000 grams of leaves, not from 100.
please don't use "coca" for cocaine. Coca is indeed a source of cocaine, but this doesn't mean that coca and cocaine are the ame thing.
coca has advantages that extracted cocaine will never have, like a low to inexistant addiction potential and little to none physical side effects...
effects of coca are balanced out ( 13 alkaloids instead of one isolated one in extracted cocaine), it's also a mild sedative etc. extracted cocaine is a very different animal. in swim's opinion, extracting cocaine might be interesting for the novelty, and tasting near pure cocaine, but in the end it's a waste of coca.
if what interests swiyou is pure cocaine, it's more economically viable and safe to purify street cocaine, using methods described in the cocaine forum ( browse the forum using prefixes "TEK" and "purity").

b

[mr_pyrex]

well thanks for setting me straight...My math sucks more then I thought and it has now become an expensive learning mistake. I should have know it was too good to be true. Well thanks for the help but attaining the pure form was indeed my end solution and again it was for reasons you had mentioned just want to be able to try it once and see what perfect was instead of the crap found all over the west coast. Well I'm gonna go cry in the corner for a while. ;-) Pyrex out of funds
p.s. I know it has been mentioned but being soo darn lazy does sucking on the tea bag in the presence in a base produce some positive effectsmore then caffine? THX

[Benga]

Originally Posted by mr_pyrex

I know it has been mentioned but being soo darn lazy does sucking on the tea bag in the presence in a base produce some positive effectsmore then caffine? THX

uncomparable...wakes one up, motivation, eager to get the work done, mood uplift, increased stamina, decreased appetite and need to sleep.
great for physical and intellectual work, driving, staying awake when necessary. no crash but a rather gradual decrease of effect some 20 minutes after the last leaves. the key is keeping the saliva in the mouth, for at least 25 minutes or so, with 2 to 3 bags it's very pleasant.
nothing like pure cocaine, it also has a rather mellow side to it, but an extremely pleasant stimulant, much more so than coffee.
The perfect slave food, which was why the conquistadores gave coca to the masses after initially declaring it a devilish sin.It was a royal treat of the Incas, pretty much like the Maya and Aztec's chocolate, with strong religious connections, but the conquistadores found that it really increased their slave's productivity in their little mining industry...
the downsides : the taste (it's an acquired one) coca breath, green mouth and vegetable bits stuck in the teeth, and a runny stools, especially if too much saliva with base is swallowed, which is not recommended.

don't expect cocaine and swiyou might like it.

b

[Benga]

Originally Posted by epote

well SWIE in a previous dream tried some coca tea, that is, he boiled water, used two coca tea bags and some lime juice. Didnt really notice anything, one could argue that he felt more energetic, more like a calmed hyperactivity but the feeling was masked due to the expectation of something about to happen...

coca tea in itself is really more of a calming, sedative drink to swim. swim gets stronger energetic effects from green tea, coca seems to only affect stamina. Coca tea is good for stomach aches and unrest, and altitude sickness if this is revelant, which it rarely is. fresh coca tea brewed in tea is stronger, maybe more of an eyeopening effect than green tea but even then effects are very mild. Brewing a large quantity does change this slightly, but it's still a weak way of using coca ( adding lime juice isn't really a good idea, acidity always counteracts the extraction process in swim's experience with citric acid, lemon juice etc)...

the best way to judge the effects of coca, with teabags, is as follows :
take two to three teabags. Rip them open. add a pinch ( 1/4 of a teaspoonful) of food grade sodium BIcarbonate ( baking soda), either from the local supermarket or the pharmacy.
close the teabag by rolling them and lick as one would for a rolled cigarette, using one's saliva.
place the teabags between gums and cheek, or under the tongue.

from there on, KEEP ONE'S SALIVA IN THE MOUTH. ie don't swallow it.
effects will be felt from 5 minutes into the process, once the teabags get soaked with saliva and the mouth's mucous lining starts absorbing what's in the saliva. first sign will be a numbing next to the teabag, then an increase in salivation.
next comes the stimulation, fatigue dissipates, bloodflow is stimulated, mood uplifted etc...
keep the bags in the mouth without swallowing the saliva unless this becomes absolutely necessary. yes, it's not great for talking. make sure you don't drool, green saliva is yucky and stains.
two to three teabags can be kept in the mouth for 45 minutes, spit them out when no more numbness is felt. Press the bags between gums and cheek to get the "juice" out. The bags will probably rip open during the process, this is good, it actually makes for a better buccal extraction. If you swallow the saliva for a reason, it is better to add one or two fresh bags to the mouth.

it is a waste if the teabags are not kept for at least 15 to 20 minutes, the process takes a few minutes to start.
full stimulation lasts for as long as teabags are active, and then slowly decreases over the following 45 minutes to an hour.

when the teabags are exhausted, one should spit them out. saliva can be swallowed but this is really not the best idea as basified saliva wil react with stomach acids and cause some diarreah if too much is swallowed. a little is ok, too much will really make one's gut rumble.

best time to try is with a task at hand which doesn't involve talking : typing out a paper, cleaning one's house, painting the ceiling, walk in nature, playing an instrument...

don't forget to brush teeth afterwards.

the effects of coca chewing and drinking coca infusions are uncomparable.

b

[novo]

SWIM agree's with Benga about the effects of "chewing" coca vs. making tea. Also about the little increase in stimulation with added teabags for tea. Sometimes SWIM will bush his/her teeth with some baking soda before putting a teabag w/dry lime paste in the cheek. Sometimes SWIM says it is easier with one or two teabags because it is less noticable in social situations and gets moistened more quickly, and seems to be less likely to break open. This amount can be fairly stimulating, great for getting work done. SWIM also agrees that after the flavor is gone and the teabag starts to dry up, that chewing on the teabag will get a little more effect. This is not great for social situations, as you will surely have leaves in your teeth. Your tongue and teeth will stain green, but like Benga mentioned, it's good to brush after. The effects don't last as long as caffeine, so you may be sucking on teabags for as long as the stimulation is useful. Also, combined with caffeine, there is a really nice synergy (according to SWIM).

[fleetwood1956]

Swim finds that chewing coca makes him feel top of the world and ready for the day. Swim uses it in the morning on the walk to work. Swim has also noticed when he has used coca and later has a cup of coffee that the coffee becomes alot stronger. Swim cant really tell the difference between chewing coca and drinking coca except the effects are longer when chewed. Swim is thinking of treating himself to a little coca liquer for christmas. Made some a while ago and the taste was terrible so this time I'm gonna buy it ready made see if the taste is better.

[lala124]

How about dumping the tea bag content mixed with baking soda right into the cheek. Wouldnt this be nicer than a tea bag?

[Sloop]

Coca tea is good for your stomach, some say good for getting a very slight buzz and many say good for altitude sickness amongst other health orientated things. Swim never gets noticeable stimulation with coca tea, though it is a good healthy drink, and swim has spent a fair slice of swims time in the Andes cosuming coca leaf in a variety of forms and ways. This talk about a stimulating buzz like good coffee, well swim and the Andean people swim has lived with must be missing something. Are you adding something to the coca tea because swims understanding is without alkaline catalyst sold with the Coca leaf in the Andes there is little (if you are very sensitive) or no buzz.

Swim can chew a gob full (ie 60 coca leaves) without catalyst and there is no gum numbing, no stimulation just nourishment, but add a bit of catalyst (ie lejia) then we have action, the gums numb and the brain feels dam good
The Andean people dont chew coca with a alkaline catalyst for no reason. Swim thinks anything but extremely mild stimulation is all that is possible with coca tea, nothing near coffee (or dam you must be drinking some poor coffee), but empty that tea bag or better 3 or 4 in your gob with some sodium bicarbonnate and make a quid and keep it between your gums and cheek...well then we have some action after a few minutes.... then it is far better than any coffee

[Benga]

Originally Posted by Sloop

Coca tea is good for your stomach, some say good for getting a very slight buzz and many say good for altitude sickness amongst other health orientated things. Swim never gets noticeable stimulation with coca tea, though it is a good healthy drink, and swim has spent a fair slice of swims time in the Andes cosuming coca leaf in a variety of forms and ways. This talk about a stimulating buzz like good coffee, well swim and the Andean people swim has lived with must be missing something. Are you adding something to the coca tea because swims understanding is without alkaline catalyst sold with the Coca leaf in the Andes there is little (if you are very sensitive) or no buzz.

Swim can chew a gob full (ie 60 coca leaves) without catalyst and there is no gum numbing, no stimulation just nourishment, but add a bit of catalyst (ie lejia) then we have action, the gums numb and the brain feels dam good
The Andean people dont chew coca with a alkaline catalyst for no reason. Swim thinks anything but extremely mild stimulation is all that is possible with coca tea, nothing near coffee (or dam you must be drinking some poor coffee), but empty that tea bag or better 3 or 4 in your gob with some sodium bicarbonnate and make a quid and keep it between your gums and cheek...well then we have some action after a few minutes.... then it is far better than any coffee

this is absolutely true.
double post edited, sorry, see below.
SWIM adds that he drinks liters of coca tea daily ( with between 5 and 8 teabags per pot) and never has felt a coffee like "buzz" for the infusions, nor any problems sleeping from the tea.

on "chewing" coca, swim would like to note that teabags are actually much more effective than leaves, as leaves are very bulky, and a traditional quintu is actually very small. In shredded form you can easily fit 10gm in your mouth which is not respecting the traditional spirit of coca but also quite effective.

Swim can chew a gob full (ie 60 coca leaves) without catalyst and there is no gum numbing, no stimulation just nourishment, but add a bit of catalyst (ie lejia) then we have action, the gums numb and the brain feels dam good
The Andean people dont chew coca with a alkaline catalyst for no reason. Swim thinks anything but extremely mild stimulation is all that is possible with coca tea, nothing near coffee (or dam you must be drinking some poor coffee), but empty that tea bag or better 3 or 4 in your gob with some sodium bicarbonnate and make a quid and keep it between your gums and cheek...well then we have some action after a few minutes.... then it is far better than any coffee[/quote]

this is absolutely true. whatever coca alkaloids are extracted by a simple hot water infusion are for the most part decomposed by gastric fluids and never make it to the blood stream.
Adding a basifying agent ( quinoa ashes, sodium bicarb, limestone paste...) effectively extracts the alkaloids ( read a cocktail of up to 14 active alkaloids, which is why coca stimulation has little to do with cocaine, even though this particular alkaloid is one of the leave's most active- the others balance out the effects) which are absorbed by the mouth's mucous.
this stimulation is indeed very pleasant, you feel less fatigue, less physical pain if you were feeling any, your mood is lightened and feel more eager to work, which is why coca is such a helpful plant for physical labour or walking in the Andes. Coca stimulation doesn't make you feel jittery or in need for physical action as cocaine does, but allows you to work longer and better.
Concentration is also improved, though it's easy to feel the urge to complete quite a few tasks at once.
coca does have a slight comedown, which lasts about 30 minutes, when the stimulation is wearing off and you fell more tired and less peppy, but this quickly goes away as the effect on dopamine levels is nothing comparable to that of pure cocaine hcl
tea is good, full of nutriments and good for your stomach, but it doesn't compare to "chewed" coca or coffee.
Go for yerba mate for a caffeine kick without the jitters or sleeping problems, and save coca for chewing when needed.

[Benga]

additional information on using coca can be found in DF's coca wiki article
http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/nuw....view&bookid=8

b

[SpaceKitten]

Swim has also foun a growing interest in chewing thte coca bags, And me too being from Peru, its something that i feel is just part of my culture lol,
as for diffrent strenght,, i guess the closer you get to the source the better the quality,
Swim has had better effects from teabag chewing that came straight from Peru than with the same brand from within the Eu,, As a previous poster pointed out though your not going to get the effect as when you do a line

[darkbreed]

Well SWIM live in a country where coca leaves are legal and common and SWIM frequently use them. Basically what you do is take around 30 leaves, put some sodium bicarbonate in beween every couple leaves (this will make act as a catalyst for the cocaine and make it more useful in regards of effects.

You then roll this thing up to a squid, or a sigar formed shape, put it in one of your cheeks and let it sit there for a while, gently chewing on it now and then. After a while chew more powerfully and more often and effects will increase. Pleasent numbness in mouth is result of this as well as a relaxant and/or stimulant effect from the alkaloids in the coca leaves.

In addition coca leaves are very healthy, does not cause dependence, and helps for a long list of ailments. Considered a natural medicine here, and coca tea is common to buy in cafes.

SWIM prefers chewing on the coca leaves around 30 min or so before spitting out and adding new. He finds the effects much more pleasent than pure cocaine, and much longer lasting (he can go on hours on this, while cocaine pure is a 15 to 30 min enjoyment.) Sometimes he adds a bit more sodium bicarbonate to his coca squid in his mouth to get some extra juice outta it before changing for a new one. Sometimes he puts one squid in each cheek.,.

SWIM often go all night and/or day long on coca leaves and find them great. They helped him stop drinking, and also helped him decrease his usage of other medications such as benzos etc as the coca leaves have good effects on SWIMS medical condition.

With a kilo or so of coca leaves you should be able to go on a couple months before needing new supply, and its extremely cheap.

As a side note: coca cola company still uses coca leaves in their producion of coca cola soft drink. They perform a extraction of the cocaine first, before adding in the soft drink. In total, their own official numbers is importing more than 200 tons of coca leaves every year to USA to produce their coca cola. One can only wonder where all that cocaine ends up that they get as a bi product..

A short info about coca and its use and effect from external site:

Coca is an important medicinal plant. One of its most famous uses is as a treatment for sorojche (altitude sickness). In addition, coca is widely used for digestive problems, particularly in the form of tea, and also for headaches, particularly by the indigenous peoples. Coca also treats muscle aches and arthritic conditions and of course widely used as a stimulant. For this purpose, it is generally chewed or boiled into concentrated brews. Coca also plays an important role in the spiritual practices of the native peoples, and coca leaves are referred to as las hojas sagradas, "the sacred leaves." The ceremony includes sitting in a circle, drinking the tea, and carrying on an authentic conversation.

From a scientific paper on the indigenous use of coca from: http://www.qosqo.com/qosqo/coca.shtml

That coca leaves make them idiot"...it could be, but, among thousands of Indians about two or three imbeciles are hardly found and all or almost all of them chew coca. Even more, it is not demonstrated that use of coca leaves is harmful. How many dozens of pounds of coca would be necessary so that simply chewed not even swallowed would be dissolved in one cocaine gram? Chewing coca leaves is enough to convert them into cocaine? On the other hand, what a marvelous dentifrice they are, what an invigorating miracle coca leaves are! There is no any knowledge of any Indian having suffered from dyspepsia, having lost teeth or having gotten sick from them, before one hundred years old.".

And of course a little wikipedia quote (feel free to go read full article):

Traditional medical uses of coca are foremost as a stimulant to overcome fatigue, hunger, and thirst. It is considered particularly effective against altitude sickness. It also is used as an anaesthetic to alleviate the pain of headache, rheumatism, wounds and sores, etc. Before stronger anaesthetics were available, it also was used for broken bones, childbirth, and during trephining operations on the skull. Because cocaine constricts blood vessels, the action of coca also serves to oppose bleeding, and coca seeds were used for nosebleeds. Indigenous use of coca has also been reported as a treatment for malaria, ulcers, asthma, to improve digestion, to guard against bowel laxity, as an aphrodisiac, and credited with improving longevity. Modern studies have supported a number of these medical applications.

--

Coca is still chewed in the traditional way, with a tiny quantity of ilucta (a preparation of the ashes of the quinoa plant) added to the coca leaves; it softens their astringent flavor and activates the alkaloids. Other names for this basifying substance are llipta in Peru and the Spanish word lejía, lye in English. The consumer carefully uses a wooden stick (formerly often a spatula of precious metal) to transfer an alkaline component into the quid without touching his flesh with the corrosive substance. The alkali component, usually kept in a gourd (ishcupuro or poporo), can be made by burning limestone to form unslaked quicklime, burning quinoa stalks, or the bark from certain trees, and may be called ilipta, tocra or mambe depending on its composition.[6][7] Many of these materials are salty in flavor, but there are variations. The most common base in the La Paz area of Bolivia is a product known as lejía dulce (sweet lye) which is made from quinoa ashes mixed with anise and cane sugar, forming a soft black putty with a sweet and pleasing licorice flavor. In some places, baking soda is used under the name bico.

Hope this was somewhat informing

Best regards
DB

Reputation Comments on this post:

thanks for the effort. Just a friendly reminder to please read what we have in the forum before posting redundant extern...

[Benga]

did you read the coca wiki we have here before posting all these external links ? feel free to read it, swiyou might find it interesting...

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31613

b

[darkbreed]

No but thanks for the info. I'll tell SWIM to check it out, he'll be pleased!

-db

[Benga]

thanks. so far the critter's tests with coca extracts were rather inconclusive, read it works but "chewing" coca is still nicer. The higher alkaloid concentration of the extract never made that interesting of a difference. The only exception to this being coca alcohol.
the reason behind this is that coca chewing is actually very efficient, the alkaloids freebasing into the saliva, thanks to the alkali, and then directly absorbed by the mouth mucosa' lypophilic membranes, and into the blood stream.
with extracts this invivo freebasing reaction is more complex, and doesn't seem as efficient, so far.
all the coca extract recipes from of codexe's that the critter has posted here were intended for oral use, which is a completely different mechanism.

yet the thought of a full spectrum coca extract is really interesting, something that could be used sublingualy without the mess of leaves in the mouth

b

[kenbo]

Well SWIM tried an isopropanol extraction on 20 tea bags (20grms) - SWIM ended up with a substance like putty - very easy to work with rolled up a pea sized amount and popped under tongue with bicarb. Little zippy buzz and felt quite upbeat. SWIM decided to then do the same with the rest of his bags 80 in total. Done all at the same time and kept in sealed jars ready to evaporate isopropanol off. Done the same thing as previously only this time to find that the end result was more like a black tar. Very hard to work with - near impossible actually! and not quite the buzz as before. Tried again with varying amounts all with the same result. Then grabbed the gooey tea bags I had left in a plastic box and squeezed them into a nylon stocking getting the last of the iso out - evaporated that off and got the same result as the first one! SWIM has no idea what the difference is between getting the tar and the more easy to use putty like substance can't figure out what SWIM is doing wrong/differently. SWIM tried chewing a couple of bags at the start of SWIM little experiment with coca and although got a bit of a mood lift and slight numbness SWIM felt my first extraction as described above was better that this. SWIM has been reading quite a bit on here about chewing coca leaves and finds quite a number of different experiences on the same topic - the rang of mood uplift sometimes being described as euphoria!? with a clarity of mind etc - I certainly haven't managed this level yet - I think I will have to experiment with a few more makes of leaves see if this makes a difference - although I will stop here with this as I don't want to break any of the source discussion rules.

[Benga]

on the question of effects on mood, the critter only had what could be considered slightly euphoric ( ?) effects either in combination with alcohol, or during the first few experiences.
Tolerance does play a role, but it's not straightforward. The critter is a daily chewer, and though the effects are not euphoric, they're stable : a solid mood lift, brightening of mood, and increased motivation to act, either physically or mentally, and a slight boost in libido.
it's not euphoric, in the sense that the critter gets euphoric on cocaine, MDMA, BK-MDMA or amphetamines- which is completely different in terms of strength and its "rapture like" nature.
Coca is a good glowing mood and extra motivation. nothing to start chattering away to one's friends about as one would with cocaine.

Another characteristic of coca is that it has its psychoactive limitations, probably due to the alkaloid interaction and mode of intake : more coca, in one chewing, say 10 grams or 10 teabags in one go instead of 2 will produce stronger psychomotor stimulant effects, but not that much of a change in the strength of the euphoria.
There are reports of students trying to get higher with coca leaves by stuffing large amounts, frowned upon by native chewers. It didn't work, as it doesn't really work that way.

Another factor is the strength of the leaves, due to production realted factor, age of the leaves, types of coca bushes used, environmental factors such as hygrometry. Rainy season coca is weaker. The most mainstream peruvian brands are generally weaker than say more organic cooperative grown coca. The difference is felt quickly, taste is stronger in better leaves, and numbing effect powerful. Stimulation is stronger.

having also read reports of coca euphoria, the critter thinks this is a broad exageration or perhaps beginner's luck. Was a little saddened to read to actually read this in print recently, in a book which then went on confuse coca and cocaine. This is simply not so in the critter's experience, and spreads misinformation.

As for tolerance, while it does play a role, it's not that great either. The critter has been chewing coca for some years now, pretty much daily, and has also taken breaks along the way. The latest to date being a 3 month break this summer. Well, the first chews were not overpowering or euphoric. There was no real difference. And even with daily chewing of between 3 to 30 grams a day, there is no real tolerance build-up, ie it does not take more to reach the effects, and they're not in any way weaker.

coca extracts never really worked for the critter as well, and for the time being he has given up on them. Might be due to a disruption of the freebasing reaction which normally happens in the coca chewer's mooth. Coca alcohols, coca wines, are a different story however, but to be used in moderation, as side effects are there. But there we can start speaking of coca related euphoria.

Coca is a work drug. It would be well a well known fact if traditional andean coca chewers got euphoric from chewing. A mood lift, yes, makes life easier, increases endurance, alertness, motivation, yes, but no cocaine like top of the world euphoria.

critter also wrote on coca effects here :
http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31613

[kenbo]

Very interesting points. The points regarding mood effects are interesting as SWIM wasn't really expecting "euphoria" themselves, although was very surprised to read about this in many threads despite sound advice pointing to the contrary - it was a mild mood enhancer. The latter was more what SWIM was really after, SWIM has tried all the usual energy drinks and bars to give SWIM a little lift when working on SWIM particular ocupation, design. But SWIM finds even caffeine very jittery and doesn't like the comedown - so from what SWIM had read the coca effects could have been ideal - but as suggested in the previous post SWIM was a little disappointed with the effects and thinks that a little experimentation with various manufacturers might be worth a try.

"a solid mood lift, brightening of mood, and increased motivation to act, either physically or mentally"

This is exactly what SWIM was after.

Also the point made about the varying strengths and factors affecting this is also interesting although SWIM won't go into this too much incase SWIM breaks a rule. SWIM will see if SWIM can get a more organic cooperative grown - although without going into detail SWIM is guessing the farther the leaves have to travel - the poorer the quality will become?

[Benga]

Originally Posted by kenbo

"a solid mood lift, brightening of mood, and increased motivation to act, either physically or mentally"

This is exactly what SWIM was after.

Also the point made about the varying strengths and factors affecting this is also interesting although SWIM won't go into this too much incase SWIM breaks a rule. SWIM will see if SWIM can get a more organic cooperative grown - although without going into detail SWIM is guessing the farther the leaves have to travel - the poorer the quality will become?

not necessarily. on "leaves", the critter finds teabags much more interesting than whole leaves, much more convenient and actually more effective. Ground coca is actually used for medicinal purposes in the Andes, and also in areas further away from production area, for chewing.
without going into trade names, let's say that the best commercial coca tea the critters has tried were small peruvian brands, not the 3 mainstream ones financed by the governamental coca agency. the few brands of Bolivia coca tea the critter has tried were much weaker, though one stood out.
Some sources offer different qualities, and this is actually reflected in the product, though unfortunately it's not always consistent, depending on the batch of leaves they can use ( a lot gets hijacked by narcotraficantes for cocaine production, and it also depends on growing area and harvest season).

the key to chewing coca effectively is really to absolutely keep the saliva in one's mouth. One cannot talk, or swallow, or else the quid is wasted. which is why coca is not a very good social stimulant. A lot of the critter's friends that he introduced coca to didn't have the patience to keep the saliva in their mouth, swallowed or spat out the quid. Waste, especially with teabags that often open and spread into the mouth.
the simplest, most efficient way to enjoy coca is simply to rip open two teabags, to pour half a small teaspoon of baking soda ( sodium bicarbonate) in each teabag, lick the teabag's open end and roll it on itself, then place in the mouth, between cheek and gum or under the tongue.
and to wait. after roughly 5 real minutes, the teabag will be soaked with saliva and the reaction will begin, signalled by the numbing effect.
Once this has begun, keep the saliva in the mouth. Coca stimulates saliva secretion and that's fine. Keep it there, eventually gently pressing the quid in the mouth for at least 30 real minutes, 45 being a reasonable time.
once one gets used to the taste, one just keeps it there till its worn out ( no more numbing effect) and reloads with another quid.
if the quid opens and spreads in the mouth ( which it will), that's even better as the absorption is greater.

when one is chewing, having to speak, answer the phone etc means swallowing the saliva and hence losing basically 75% of the quid effects.

it's a little strict but really time is crucial. freebasing and absorption by the mouth mucous lining is slow, gradual, which is why preserving the alkaloid laden saliva is very important.

honestly, the critter has never found a substance as work positive as coca, and with little to none side effects. A love affair that's been going on for a few years now.


b

Reputation Comments on this post:

Great posts on coca, as always.

[kenbo]

Ahh now this sounds much more like it. Regards the work side of things - would your critter suggest that this might be good for graphic designers etc who do have to have a nice clear mind for creativity but also have a good work rate for meeting deadlines. Talking doesn't come into this as SWIM works alone. It may be a personal thing to SWIM but caffeine really isn't the tool I'm after - SWIM gets very jittery and SWIM's mind races through a million things at once instead of concentrating on the one making things 10 times worse.

[Benga]

Originally Posted by kenbo

Ahh now this sounds much more like it. Regards the work side of things - would your critter suggest that this might be good for graphic designers etc who do have to have a nice clear mind for creativity but also have a good work rate for meeting deadlines. Talking doesn't come into this as SWIM works alone. It may be a personal thing to SWIM but caffeine really isn't the tool I'm after - SWIM gets very jittery and SWIM's mind races through a million things at once instead of concentrating on the one making things 10 times worse.

well it's a matter of personal response to coca's effects but from the critter's experience it would definetly work. critter has used / uses it for translation work and writing, music composition and playing, and video work. no problem with photoshop on that one. when one works alone, the libido boost might be an issue, but if one is really working on something this is easily kept in check.

the critter can really focus and work long hours - it reduces the need for food and sleep, yet this is temporary, which is a really good thing.
After long chewing sessions, the appetite suppressant and psychomotor stimulant are still felt for approximately 45 minutes to an hour, then fatigue and any meals skipped are felt. there is no amphetamine like crash, more of a gradual return to an unstimulated state, but physical or mental activities done are really felt soon afterwards- not the next day.
If taken too long into the night, it can cause slight difficulties in falling asleep, but in the critter's experience this is more the case when coca is combined with alcohol consumption. it really depends on the type of work, after a long period of intense concentration it takes a while to move away from it and into sleep favorable relaxed mindeset, which is as much a part of the sleep issue as is any residual coca linked stimulation.

coca also works great for plain physical work- has been a great help in painting a flat, packing and moving, disassembling a stage set with a crew, and, although this is not advisable for legal safety issues, in driving. Coca, even in large doses, does not give the critter strong tachycardia as other stimulants, including caffeine, would.

the critter also drinks coffee, but moderately, one to three cups a day tops, as caffeine also easily becomes counter-productive, with the jittery edgy unable to concentrate feeling that comes very quickly, along with the critter's sensitivity to coffee's effects on sleep and on muscular tension. For caffeine stimulation, he much prefers yerba mate (not mate de coca, the real "mate"), as the effects are cleaner. A cup of coffee in the morning or after lunch is fine for the critter, but much more than that becomes unpleasant.

but without wanting to sound like a coca maniac or salesperson, coca is really uncomparable to coffee for this particular critter, though it serves a similar function, especially for such work like conditions. Coffee also doesn't include the mood lift plus effects on motivation, eagerness to work, which is a really great aspect, especially since it doesn't have the risk of going into full blown euphoria like cocaine or amphetamines, and has no crash attached.

b

[Benga]

hi there
go for fresh coca leaves- they are stronger. Fresh coca is hard to come by outside growing areas, which is why dried coca leaves are mentioned. With dried / semi-dried leaves, shredded works better than whole leaves. But with fresh coca, just use the fresh leaves.
common quid sizes, for dried leaves, are between one grams to 10, which is really bulky. A traditional coca "kintu" is 5 leaves, but this more of a ritual offering.
coca leaves are bulky, so it also depends on the size of the mouth. start with one or two grams of leaves, and see how that goes.
with fresh leaves, remember to tear of the central vein of the leaf, as it can hurt the cheek. also give them one gentle tooth crush at the start, once they're a little moist with saliva, to break open the leaf cellulose fibers.
do this once, don't chew after that, and then keep the quid between cheek and gum. add the alkali when the leaves are moist. with fresh leaves, less alkali is needed.



there is a thread on storing coca leaves, please read it. it is better to try to keep them as fresh as possible, even freezing might be an option.

b