c. 3000 BCE-Coca chewing is practiced throughout South America. Coca is believed to be a gift from God.

15th Century-Coca plantations are operated by Incas in Peru.

1505-First hand accounts of coca use made their way back to Europe. Amerigo Vespucci (1505), G Frenandez de Oviedo (1535), and Nicholas Monardes (1565).

Early 1500s-Incan Coca plantations are taken over by holders of Spanish land grants. Spanish tax laws are revised to allow land owners to make their tax payments in coca leaves.

1539-The Bishop of Cuzco tithes coca, taking 1/10 of the value of each crop in taxes.

Mid 1500s-Inca Empire. Pizarro invades and destroys the Inca Empire (1553); Coca production in Peru expands quickly causing a glut of leaf on the market which in turn precipitated a drop in the price of coca. Nicolas Monardes reports an increase in coca chewing particularly among lower classes of Andean Indians, as traditional controls disappear (1569).

1574-Monardes' text on Coca is first translated into other European languages from Spanish; Latin (1574), Italian (1576), English (1577).

c. 1575-Forced laborors working in the Spanish silver mines were kept well supplied with Coca leaves. Roughly 8% of the Europeans living in Peru were involved in the Coca trade.

1580-Europe. Monardes brings coca leaves to Europe; unlike tobacco, it fails to generate interest or use, probably because most coca leaves lost their potency during the long voyage.

1662-Abraham Cowley writes a poem titled "A Legend of Coca". This is the first independent mention of coca in English literature.

1708-Coca is first mentioned in a materia medica, Institutiones Medicae, written by Dutch physician and botanist Herman Boerhaave.

1835-First accurate drawing of Coca appears in popular English press. The illustration by Sir William Hooker, director of the Kew gardens, was published in Companion to the Botanical Magazine.

c. 1850-Coca tinctures used in throat surgery.

c. 1855-Cocaine first extracted from Coca leaves.

1859-Cocaine was first isolated as the active ingredient of the Coca plant by Albert Niemann of the University of Gottigen in Germany.

1862-Merck produces 1/4 pound of cocaine.

1863-Angelo Mariani patents a preparation of coca extract and Bordeaux wine called Vin Mariani.

1869-Seeds from the commercial variety of Coca arrived at Kew Gardens.

1870-Vin Mariani (Coca wine) is for sale throughout France, containing 6 mg cocaine per ounce of wine. Exported Vin Mariani contained 7.2 mg per ounce to compete with the higher cocaine content of American competitors.

1870s-Parke,Davis manufactures a fluid extract of coca.

1876 - 1885-Race walkers in England chew Coca leaves to improve their performance.

1883-Merck produces 3/4 pound of Cocaine.

1883-German physician Theodor Aschenbrandt administered cocaine to members of the Bavarian army to enhanced their endurance on manoeurvres. Aschenbrandt's study published in a German medical journal would be read by young Viennese neurologist, Sigmund Freud.

1884-Cocaine's use as a local anesthetic in eye surgery is popularized.

1884-Freud publishes On Coca in which he recommends the use of cocaine to treat a variety of conditions including morphine addiction.

1884-Merck produces 3,179 pounds of Cocaine.

1886-Merck produces 158,352 pounds of Cocaine.

1886-Coca-Cola is first introduced by John Pemberton, containing cocaine laced syrup and caffeine.

Late 1880s-Parke,Davis starts to manufacture refined cocaine.

c. 1901-Coca-Cola removed Coca from their formula.

1903-The expiration of a patent on the cocaine extraction process increases demand for coca.

c. 1905-Snorting cocaine becomes popular.

1906-Pure Food and Drug Act is passed, regulating the labelling of products containing Alcohol, Opiates, Cocaine, and Cannabis, among others. The law went into effect Jan 1, 1907

1910-First cases of nasal damage from Cocaine snorting are written of in medical literature.

1910-First cases of nasal damage from Cocaine snorting are seen in hospitals.

1912-U.S. government reports 5,000 Cocaine related fatalities in one year.

Dec 17, 1914-The Harrison Narcotics Tax Act is passed, regulating and imposing a tax upon the sale of Opium, Heroin and Cocaine for the first time. The Act took effect Mar 1, 1915.

Early 1930s-Japan is the world's leading cocaine producer (23.3%) followed by the United States (21.3%), Germany (15%), U.K. (9.9%), France (8.3%).

1920-1970-Cocaine use subsides in the U.S. One Bureau of Narcotics supervisor in New York City reported in 1940 that they "rarely hear of cocaine being used".

Oct 27, 1970-The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act is passed. Part II of this is the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) which defines a scheduling system for drugs. It places most of the known hallucinogens (LSD, psilocybin, psilocin, mescaline, peyote, cannabis, & MDA) in Schedule I. It places coca, cocaine and injectable methamphetamine in Schedule II. Other amphetamines and stimulants, including non-injectable methamphetamine are placed in Schedule III.

c. 1976-Freebase cocaine first developed (probably in California). It would soon be popularized by dealers and glamorized by Hollywood media.

1981-Wholesale cost of 1 kg of cocaine is $55,000.

1984-Wholesale cost of 1 kg cocaine is $25,000.

Mid 1980's-Freebase cocaine becomes popular.