The feds went after some folks selling cocaine recently.

Thats nothing new. The federal government has been pursuing the war on drugs for decades.

But it wasnt the Drug Enforcement Administration or the FBI who led the investigation this time.

Nor was the cocaine in question a white powder from Colombia or sandwich bags full of crack rocks.

No, in this case the federal agency was the Food and Drug Administration and the target was an energy drink containing nothing illegal, but marketed under the name ‘Cocaine.

The FDA served notice last week on Redux Beverages LLC of Las Vegas to stop making certain claims for their product.

The drink ‘Cocaine is advertised as the ‘legal alternative to the street drug. While one can certainly debate the merits of a company basically glorifying illegal drugs to cash in with a product, thats not the issue here.

The FDAs objections are to what the agency says are marketing claims that the drink can prevent or treat certain diseases.

The Website for ‘Cocaine says the drink contains inositol, an ingredient it says reduces cholesterol and helps prevent hardening of the arteries. That and other claims are what put the company on the FDAs hit list.

Under the law, only a drug can claim to cure, prevent or treat a disease.

The FDA gave the company two weeks to let the agency know what it plans to do to correct the violations. Failure to do so means the FDA could seize the products and prosecute the owners.

So a company makes a beverage, markets it as a legal alternative to an illegal drug, and gets nailed because it isnt a real drug.

Ironic.