Quick answer
Coca (leaf and tea) is typically detectable in urine for 2–3 days after occasional use; up to 4–5 days after heavy use. It is screened on standard 5-panel, 10-panel, 12-panel, DOT drug tests.
Screened on: 5-panel 10-panel 12-panel DOT
Typical cutoff: Screened as benzoylecgonine at 150 ng/mL urine initial / 100 ng/mL confirm.
Detection window by test type
| urine | |
|---|---|
| Occasional use | 2–3 days |
| Heavy use | up to 4–5 days |
| saliva | |
| Any use | 1–2 days |
| hair | |
| Any use | up to 90 days |
| blood | |
| Any use | 12–48 hours |
Ranges reflect typical published detection windows and vary with dose, frequency, body composition, hydration and the assay used.
Key details
Coca leaves and coca tea contain cocaine alkaloids that are metabolised to benzoylecgonine — the same target as cocaine on standard panels.
Documented coca-tea consumption has produced confirmed positives; the Medical Review Officer process considers documented explanations, but the result is genuine rather than a false positive.
Coca is a plant source, not a separate class in testing terms: every standard panel screens the benzoylecgonine metabolite regardless of whether the source was leaf, tea or refined cocaine.
Frequently asked questions
How long does coca (leaf and tea) stay in your system?
In urine, typical detection is 2–3 days (occasional use); up to 4–5 days (heavy use). Hair can detect use for up to 90 days and saliva/blood windows are usually shorter.
Will coca (leaf and tea) show up on a standard drug test?
Yes — Coca (leaf and tea) is screened on standard panels (5-panel, 10-panel, 12-panel, DOT).
How accurate are these detection windows?
They are typical ranges from published literature and assay documentation, not guarantees. Clearance depends on dose, frequency, metabolism and the specific test cutoff used.
Related substances
Cite this page
DrugPanels. “Coca (leaf and tea) Detection Time.” https://drugpanels.com/detection/coca/. Accessed 2026-09-10.
Sources
- Cone EJ et al., benzoylecgonine excretion studies — Journal of Analytical Toxicology / PubMed — pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- SAMHSA Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs — Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration — samhsa.gov
Detection windows describe typical ranges from the published literature and assay documentation; individual results vary. See our methodology.