Hi, I'm Nellie. -And I'm Dzifa.

Welcome to... -Our Drugslab.

Twice a month we test a drug to see how it affects our body.

And to break the taboo on drugs.

If you're curious about a drug or if you know a nice location...

let us know, and who knows we might try it out for you.

Ignacio Mouzo wants to know how coca leaves work.

And Dugo1nh0 really wants to know how coca powder works.

That's one and the same substance.

So that's what we're going to do today. Not we, I am.

This is our coca powder. It has a deep green colour, but it can be brownish.

The fresher the powder, the lighter the colour.

It has the texture of a crushed plant. It smells a bit like green tea.

Coca is an indigenous plant from the Andes region in South America.

Coca makes you think of cocaine, but in South America that's an insult.

They consider coca as a sacred plant and use it as a pick-me-up, like coffee.

Coca powder is made from crushed dried coca leaves.

It contains many substances of which one is the basis for cocaine.

One leaf contains 0.1 grams of cocaine.

That's one percent of pure cocaine, so this is highly concentrated.

We also have a video about cocaine. Click here to watch that video.

I'm wearing the belt. -The active ingredient affects:

Your endurance, your appetite, and your ability to concentrate.

We want to test that first to establish a baseline.

And then we'll see what happens when you use coca leaves.

It reduces your appetite, so I didn't eat anything this morning.

It's recommended to eat before you try this...

but we're guinea pigs, who'll do anything for science.

To test your concentration you get to paint my nails.

One hand before you try coca powder and one afterwards.

And to test your endurance, we'll see how long you can hold up a heavy item.

I'll do it with my left hand, because that's my weak hand.

Besides the social and culture aspect...

coca leaves are used as medication for altitude sickness, for example.

It's also used on the work floor.

Chefs who want to cook all night long, for example, chew on the leaves.

I think you did a nice job. I also have something else for you.

You have to hold this up for as long as you can.

I have to stop fooling around, because this is pretty heavy.

Do you exercise a lot? -Not often enough.

Well done.

I have news for you. You held it up for 1 minute, 28 seconds.

That's a good baseline.

You can use coca in several ways. You can make tea or chew on the leaves.

You can also use it in the form of candy or powder.

I have a nice method. I'm going to spoon it up and stick it in my cheek.

We've weighed two grams.

Two grams of coca powder should be enough to feel the effects slightly.

If you take three to four grams you should feel the effects better.

So we're going for four grams? You shouldn't take it all at once.

Start off with two grams and take seconds 15 minutes later.

I'm going to stuff it in my cheek, so it becomes a lump here.

I'm going to clench my jaw, so it doesn't go down my throat or get in my mouth.

I want it to stay here.

That way it gets absorbed faster by your mucus membrane.

Watch out for your teeth. If it gets under your tongue it can feel nasty.

Do you need help? Here we go. -Cheers.

What does it taste like? Oh wait, you can't talk.

It's in the right spot. It's not that gross.

My tongue is already numb. And my cheek as well.

You can't feel it anymore? -No.

The more you take, the longer the effects last.

The effects wear off after 30 minutes. You can then spit it out or swallow it.

I'm tempted to take a sip of water and spit it out.

Why? Is it uncomfortable or is the taste intense?

It's making me nauseous.

Check the do's and don'ts video to find out what you should and shouldn't do.

I can even smell it from over here. -Sorry.

It's an intense smell, but quite nice. It smells like this.

In Bolivia and Peru they call it 'hoja sagrada', the sacred plant.

They've been using it for thousands of years.

Despite that it's been around for ages, it's illegal to transport coca.

In the Netherlands it falls under the Opium Act.

However, it is sold in smart shops, because it's in a grey area.

It's illegal, but as it's not a direct threat to public health...

they don't crack down hard on it.

The active ingredient is absorbed. I do have to say...

You're feeling the effects, aren't you? -I am.

You're very active now, very explosive.

I feel a tingling sensation here. It feels like I'm a hamster.

It feels swollen? -Exactly.

Let me rinse my mouth, because it has done its job.

Then I'll take the second serving.

It's funny that you feel the effects so quickly. You're very active now.

You're talking louder and faster and you're more expressive.

Shall I go like this? -Go ahead.

That's two grams. Enjoy. -Thank you.

That's it. Look at that.

You got it. -Really?

A little is falling out, but it's fine. That's it. Perfect.

It's time for another test. You can now paint my other nails.

I feel cheery, but I don't know if I'll do a better job now though.

It's going really smoothly.

I'm not necessarily more focused, but I feel more alert.

I have a 'let's get cracking' attitude.

You were insecure before. -Exactly. Now it's: Let's get cracking.

You did a better job on this hand.

This was before and this is after. This hand looks better.

Let me spit this out before the next test. -You've absorbed the active ingredient.

Exactly. -It's doing its job.

You've spit it out and you're calm, so it's time for the endurance test.

At least two minutes this time. You can do it.

You're on one minute now.

Good job. 1 minute, 40 seconds.

I beat my time. -Indeed.

Was it easier? -Not really, but I was more motivated.

When you hope and expect that something will happen...

that's also part of taking drugs, right? -Right.

That's why you shouldn't take drugs when you feel miserable.

When I was in Colombia and thanks to all the comments on Drugslab...

I discovered that the world behind cocaine is very criminal and corrupt.

That made me think: It's time to pay some attention to that.

Cocaine is made from coca leaves, but the production started innocently.

They didn't start making cocaine from coca leaves until 1855.

That's when the problems began. -The corruption and bribery required...

to get cocaine across the border results in an inactive legal system...

which only increases the violence.

So long the demand remains, the violence won't decline.

In Europe we consume 350 kilograms of cocaine each day.

That's why it's cool that we're an international channel.

You get to read stuff that makes you think: Fuck.

It's an intense story and that's why I wanted to try coca powder...

as an alternative to cocaine. But is coca powder a fair trade product?

That's hard to determine, because it's still not legalised.

So you don't know how the coca powder was made.

It still leads to deforestation.

If they legalise it, they can make agreements with the farmers.

Give it some thought if you ever want to experiment with cocaine.

It was nice to experience the effects of the original product.

It had an effect, right? -Right.

I slept great. I feel fine. Much different than with chemically produced cocaine.

Next week there's a new Drugslab Extra.

If you want us to investigate something, let us know and we'll look into it.

Give us a thumbs up for this episode. If you're doing drugs now, be careful.

Enjoy your weekend. Bye. Love you.