Did Coca-Cola have cocaine in it? History explored as Elon Musk's tweet sparks hilarious meme fest online

After shocking the world by buying Twitter for $44 billion, Elon Musk jokingly decided that his next target was Coca-Cola.

On April 28, the CEO of Tesla revealed that he wanted to buy the fizzy drink company “to put the cocaine back in.” The tweet did not surprise many, as the businessman is known for his eccentric tweets. Netizens joined the internet chatter as well.

Soon after sharing that he wanted to buy the soft drink company, he said that the beverage “kicks Red Bull’s a*s.”

The Twitter rant seemed to be unending. Just an hour later, Elon Musk revealed that he would also buy McDonald’s to "fix all of their ice cream." He jokingly responded to the messages by saying:

Talk of the beverage containing cocaine in the past spread like wildfire after Twitter user @PPathole shared an image of a 1984 Coca-Cola bottle. The netizen claimed that the fizzy drink had 3.5 grams of cocaine.

Did Coca-Cola ever contain cocaine?

Cocaine was never part of the original drink recipe. The drug is incredibly concentrated. The soda gets its first name ‘Coca’ from the coca leaf, from which cocaine is derived.

People may have assumed that the drink contained cocaine, as the fizzy beverage once contained the coca leaf extract. The same extract was called ecgonine, a substance that resembled cocaine but was less processed.

The other claim is that the soft drink has reportedly been coca free since 1929. However, Coca-Cola executives told the New York Times that:

Coca leaves grow in western South America. The ingredients were precious to native Andean people. The plant is traditionally consumed as a wad, which can be stuck between one’s lips and gums. It is known for its recreational and ceremonial usage.

Paleo ethnobotanist Matthew Biwer claims a “negligible” amount of cocaine in a dose of coca. Coca has been used as an anesthetic while operating. Pharmaceutical companies used to prescribe the same until patients began overdosing on it.

Coca is still used for medicinal purposes. Andes tourists are also advised to consume coca tea to reduce altitude sickness. It is also traditionally used to soothe the stomach and suppress one’s appetite.

The other part of Coca-Cola refers to the kola nut, which contains caffeine. It is prominently growing in West Africa.

Internet reacts to Elon Musk's tweet

Though the new Twitter owner claimed to buy Coca-Cola next, netizens endlessly created memes out of his tweet. Internet users joked about Coke consumers getting intoxicated from a fizzy drink.

Others have repeatedly asked Musk to buy off third-world countries to end world hunger. A few occasionally asked the billionaire to pay off their debt as well.

Even if Musk plans to buy the drink company, consumers can be assured that the fizzy drink will not contain any cocaine despite speculations.

About the author

Karishma is a trending writer at SK POP. With a BA in Journalism, Psychology and Literature, Karishma, who has closely followed the latest internet trends from a young age, found her role at SK POP to be the perfect fit for her professional qualifications and personal interests.

She has nearly 3 years of experience in the industry and has interned with The Hindu and Deccan Herald. In her role at Sportskeeda, Karishma covers a range of topics at the pop division, but she believes her skills as a journalist are best reflected while creating impactful and research-intensive stories. For her, no other step in the writing process is as crucial as fact-checking with multiple sources and accurately conveying facts and data.

Karishma holds deep admiration for artists Luke Jerram and Yoshitomo Nara's authenticity and originality, who are her favorite icons. When not ideating her next story, Karishma can be seen deeply engrossed in a book.

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