Move over coke, heroin, ecstasy, meth, LSD, and good ol’ Mary Jane… there’s a new cool kid on the block and it’s called Coco Loko.
Coco Loko is a snortable chocolate powder that’s mixed with gingko biloba, taurine and guarana—ingredients commonly found in energy drinks. When ingested, the substance produces a “buzz” similar to that of a high. At least that’s the way it’s marketed, anyway.
The product, which is manufactured by Orlando-based company Legal Lean, is already attracting quite a bit of attention both domestically and internationally. It’s now been featured in The Washington Post, USA Today, and the New York Daily News.
Nick Anderson, founder of Legal Lean, told The Washington Post that he first heard about a “chocolate-snorting tend” while he was in Europe a few months back.
“At first, I was like, ‘Is this a hoax?’” Anderson recollected. “And then I tried it and it was like, okay, this is the future right here.”
Anderson describes the high as being “almost like an energy-drink feeling, like you’re euphoric but also motivated to get things done.” And the best part about it? Coco Loko is 100% legal.
But just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s safe, doctors warn.
“There are a few obvious concerns,” said Dr. Andrew Lane, director of the Johns Hopkins Sinus Center. “First, it’s not clear how much of each ingredient would be absorbed into the nasal mucus membranes. And, well, putting solid material into your nose—you could imagine it getting stuck in there, or the chocolate mixing with your mucus to create a paste that could block your sinuses.”
Dr. Lane also expressed concern that inhaling energy-boosting ingredients like caffeine, taurine, and guarana could magnify their effects, which may result in increased blood pressure and heart palpitations. However, Dr. Lane also said that Coco Loko is “better than using an illicit drug.”
Take that as permission if you will, but keep in mind that the FDA has not yet reached a decision on how to regulate the product. If you do end up trying it, please let us know what you thought of it in the comments below.
