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Is it possible to cultivate coca from seeds?
Q: Is it possible to cultivate coca from seeds?? It seems that with all of the advances in hydroponic gardening for marijuana, such a thing could be done. I did read that lack of altitude can degrade potency, but if you lived at a significant altitude outside of the Andes... Hmmm

A: Yes, coca can be grown from seeds, as well as from cuttings. The seeds are illegal in most countries however, and they die within a few weeks of being collected, so they can't be stored. This makes commercial sales of the seeds difficult even in countries where they are legal.



Some varieties of coca are adapted to lower altitudes, but in general the potency is higher in high altitude plants. Coca is grown in some countries outside of South America, such as Indonesia, Australia and some Asian countries. The closely related species Erythroxylum novogranatense (which also contains cocaine) is also grown in Australia.



Not that it's not possible, but we've never heard of anyone growing Coca hydroponically. If seeds or a cutting were obtained, it might be more successful to simulate the plant's natural environment as closely as possible rather than trying to grow hydroponically. Even if you grew plants which were low in cocaine, the leaves are still very nutritious and the plant would be a very unique collector's item. This would, of course, be illegal in most countries.

Asked By : baba-chewy
Answered By : murple/fire
Published Date : 2 / 17 / 2001
Last Edited Date : 3 / 12 / 2004
Question ID : 2249

Categories: [ Coca ] [ Cultivation ]



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