Cocoa

Cocoa is yummy! However, some cocoa strains have high caffeine content, and stimulants combined with psychedelics should be used with caution. The Forastero strain contains virtually no caffeine, while the Criollo contains a lot of caffeine. To make chocolate, it's safer to mix cocoa solids with specified strain and white chocolate, or just using white chocolate, rather than using baking chocolate without any strain declared in the ingredients.

For the cocoa plant, see Theobroma cacao (botany).

Summary sheet: Cocoa

Cocoa pods growing on the plant.

Cocoa, or cocoa powder is a naturally occurring product from the cocoa beans of the cacao tree Theobroma cacao, known for being a main ingredient in chocolate. It is found usually in the form of cocoa beans, which are taken from the cocoa plant, or cocoa powder. Cocoa beans and bean powder contain psychoactive compounds that when ingested or insufflated act as mild to moderate stimulants. Businesses as well as companies and their subsidiaries sell cocoa powder for baking because cocoa powder is used to add chocolate flavor to baked items or doughs.

The generic name for Theobroma cacao is derived from the Greek for "food of the gods"; from θεός (theos), meaning 'god', and βρῶμα (broma), meaning 'food'.

Dosage

See dark chocolate milk for preparation.

Dosages based on cocoa strain

The caffeine content in the table is base on the calculation from various cocoa varieties.

Level	Cocoa bean strain
	Criollo	Trinitario	Nacional	Forastero
Threshold: 20-50 mg caffeine	2-4 g	3-9 g	8-21 g	15-38 g
Light: 50-100 mg caffeine	4-9 g	9-16 g	21-42 g	38-77 g
Common: 100-200 mg caffeine	9-18 g	16-32	42-83 g	77-154 g
Strong: 200-300 mg caffeine	18-27 g	32-48 g	83-125 g	154-231 g
Heavy: 300-400 mg caffeine	27-35 g	48-63 g	125-167 g	231-308 g

History and culture

Several mixtures of cacao are described in ancient texts, for ceremonial or medicinal, as well as culinary, purposes. Some mixtures included maize, chili, vanilla (Vanilla planifolia), and honey. Archaeological evidence for use of cacao, while relatively sparse, has come from the recovery of whole cacao beans at Uaxactun, Guatemala.

Ceremonial cacao, along with retreats centered around its use, has been experiencing a surge in popularity in recent years.

Chemistry

• Anandamide
• Caffeine: 230 mg / 100 g
• Phenethylamine
• Phenylalanine: 0.941 g/100 g
• Putrescine
• Salsolinol
• Serotonin
• Theobromine: 2060 mg/100 g
• Theophylline
• Tryptamine
• Tryptophan: 0.293 g/100 g
• Tyramine
• Tyrosine: 0.735 g/100 g
• Valeric acid
• MAOIs
  • Catechin
  • Epicatechin
  • Tetrahydro‐β‐carbolines (THBCs)

Cocoa varieties

Caffeine content mg/g (sorted by lowest caffeine content):

• Forastero (defatted): 1.3 mg/g
• Nacional (defatted): 2.4 mg/g
• Trinitario (defatted): 6.3/g
• Criollo (defatted): 11.3 mg/g

Pharmacology

This pharmacology section is incomplete. You can help by adding to it.

The compounds theobromine, caffeine, and phenethylamine are the main psychoactive constituents of cocoa. Caffeine and theobromine are metabolized by xanthine oxidase and phenethylamine is metabolized mainly by monoamine oxidase B.

Theobromine has a half-life of 10 hours but over 16% may be unmodified 48 h after a single dose of 10 mg/Kg.

It may take 4-8 weeks of caffeine abstinence to reset tolerance in regular users.

Subjective effects

This subjective effects section is a stub. As such, it is still in progress and may contain incomplete or wrong information. You can help by expanding or correcting it.

Disclaimer: The effects listed below cite the Subjective Effect Index (SEI), an open research literature based on anecdotal user reports and the personal analyses of PsychonautWiki contributors. As a result, they should be viewed with a healthy degree of skepticism.

It is also worth noting that these effects will not necessarily occur in a predictable or reliable manner, although higher doses are more liable to induce the full spectrum of effects. Likewise, adverse effects become increasingly likely with higher doses and may include addiction, severe injury, or death ☠.

Physical effects

• • Stimulation
  • Nausea
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Increased heart rate
  • Increased perspiration
  • Vasoconstriction
  • Headaches - Headaches may come from vasoconstriction and therefore high blood pressure which will put strain on the blood vessels in the brain.
  • Pupil dilation
  • Itchiness

Cognitive effects

• • Thought acceleration
  • Disinhibition
  • Cognitive euphoria
  • Stimulation
  • Motivation enhancement
  • Wakefulness
  • Novelty enhancement

After effects

• The aftereffects of cocoa powder are usually very small or perhaps even non-existant. However, they may include:
  • Anxiety
  • Cognitive fatigue
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Motivation suppression
  • Thought deceleration
  • Wakefulness

Toxicity and harm potential

It is recommended that one use harm reduction practices when using this drug. Although cocoa is relatively safe when ingested orally, snorting cocoa is very damaging to nasal passages and therefore it is not recommended to snort cocoa powder often, in large amounts, or potentially even at all.

Snorted cocoa has been used as a "party drug" in Europe, usually as a legal and subtle replacement for MDMA or cocaine. Cocoa solids is a very bulky substance. Insufflation of cocoa solids in the respiratory tract can cause inflammation.

Overdose

The LD₅₀ of cocoa powder in humans is estimated to be around 25-100_{(This information has a large range of numbers (ex. 25-100) that is unjustified or unsourced and/or it is a very vague statement.)} grams per kilogram of body weight.

Dependence and abuse potential

Because cocoa can act as a powerful (compared to other weaker stimulants on their own) stimulant, it can be considered addictive, but less so than compounds such as amphetamine and DOx compounds. Caffeine dependence and withdrawals have been documented.

Dangerous interactions

monoamine oxidase inhibitors or reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase could potentially boost the actions of phenethylamine or, more dangerously, raise levels of monoamines to very high amounts which could cause high blood pressure or less potentially, serotonin syndrome.

Legality

This legality section is a stub. As such, it may contain incomplete or wrong information. You can help by expanding it.

Cocoa powder can be legally obtained likely in every country, although some countries have restrictions on the sale of caffeine.

See also

• Responsible use
• Caffeine
• Phenethylamine

External links

• Theobroma cacao (Wikipedia)
• Cocoa bean (Wikipedia)
• Cocoa solids (Wikipedia)
• Dark chocolate (Wikipedia)
• Chocolate (Erowid Vault)
• Theobroma cacao (Chocolate) (Erowid Vault)

References

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