Pharmaceutical companies make drugs and only one company in the USA can refine cocaine. They buy the cocaine from Stepan and then make other drugs from it or just dilute it for medical use.
Opioid manufactures also manufacture other drugs, like pharmaceutical grade cocaine. That’s the only connection I can see - I don’t think the cocaine molecule is similar enough to opioids for it so be a useful precursor.
Why would opioid manufacturers need cocaine? I thought cocaine wasn’t an opiate, so wouldn’t they just be drug manufacturers?
Pharmaceutical companies make drugs and only one company in the USA can refine cocaine. They buy the cocaine from Stepan and then make other drugs from it or just dilute it for medical use.
From this thread: https://lemmy.world/comment/14737915
Opioid manufactures also manufacture other drugs, like pharmaceutical grade cocaine. That’s the only connection I can see - I don’t think the cocaine molecule is similar enough to opioids for it so be a useful precursor.