Coca-Cola is invented by John Pemberton in the late 19th century. It was originally intended as a medicine against fatigue and headaches. The idea to call it Coca-Cola came from his business partner Frank Robinson in 1885. The name is made up from the two ‘medical’ ingredients; extract of coca leaves and kola nuts.
Cocaine
How much cocaine there was exactly in the cola is hard to determine, but that is was in there is certain. Frederich Allen even thought it had to remain an ingredient of the cola, despite all the heavy critique;
“But neither could Candler take the simple step of eliminating the fluid extract of coca leaves from the formula. Candler believed that his product’s name had to be descriptive, and that he must have at least some by-product of the coca leaf in the syrup (along with some kola) to protect his right to the name Coca-Cola. Protecting the name was critical. Candler had no patent on the syrup itself. Anyone could make an imitation. But no one could put the label “Coca-Cola” on an imitation so long as Candler owned the name. The name was the thing of real value, and the registered trademark was its only safeguard. Coca leaves had to stay in the syrup.”
It was not before 1929 that Coca-Cola became cocaine free.

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