Cocaine is a stimulant taken from the coco plant. Coco plants can be found mainly in South America.  Cocaine in the primary, recreational form available today is white in color and is a powdery substance. Most people snort it.  However, it can also be taken orally, or injected into the body. Some people also smoke it.

Cocaine is a schedule 2 drug in United States and is illegal to have possession of and sell. Those who are caught with cocaine risk jail time.  Up until 1914 cocaine was legal in the United States. It was used in a number of ways. Some people chewed the coco leaves, which has been done for a very long time.  In 1850 cocaine was developed in its current state. It began to be used for medical uses in the 19th century and for recreational ones as well.  In the 1900s, cocaine addiction began to become a problem and was subsequently made illegal in 1914.

Cocaine goes by number of different names. Some of the most notable are coke, toot and nose candy. The effects of cocaine on an individual will be dependent upon a number of factors, how much they weigh, how the body metabolizes substances and how much they use.  A person's mood and surroundings may also have an effect, though likely a small one.  

Once a person uses cocaine they may feel a number of different ways.  Some individuals become extremely focused, others become more sexual in thought and deed.  Some people will feel very happy and excited and most individuals will receive a boost of energy because cocaine is a stimulant.

However, there are some potential negative effects as well. A person may become angry, violent and paranoid.  They also face some physical risks such as stroke, failure of the kidneys, heart attack and seizures.  

A user will begin feeling the effects of cocaine differently based on how it is taken. Those who free base the drug will experience a high very quickly. Injection also works extremely fast and takes only seconds.  Persons that snort cocaine feel its affect in about a minute. Individuals that snort cocaine may stay high about 20 to 40 minutes.  Those who smoke freebase cocaine or crack a typically are only high for about 5 to 15 minutes.

Contrary to popular belief, cocaine is not physically addicting.  However, it is very psychologically addictive. Individuals who enjoy the way it makes them feel may use great quantities of it, and on a consistent basis. It is often very difficult to stop using because of drugs mental, emotional and psychological hold on the abuser.