Pemberton Turned to Cocaine as a Substitute for Morphine
Like many other addicts, Pemberton wanted to recover and get clean. He knew his morphine problem was dangerous, so he began experimenting with opium-free medicines. After another doctor claimed that opium habits could be cured with coca (cocaine), Pemberton worked on his own concoction using coca leaves and kola nuts.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
As we mentioned, this specific concoction was called Pemberton’s French Wine- coca leaves and red wine. It was during the prohibition when the physician was required to remove the alcoholic component of his formula, which ultimately led to Coca-Cola. What’s interesting is that during this time, coca was thought to help with substance abuse. Of course, we now know that cocaine is a powerful and addictive drug as well.