Belgian chocolatier Dominique Persoone snorts cocoa powder off his Chocolate Shooter in his factory in Bruges.

It's sweet, delicious, gives us an energy boost and is perfectly legal - chocolate has become the party drug of choice in the US and Europe.

Chocolate - and in it's raw form, cocoa - can be ingested as a drink, a pill, in powdered form, and can even be snorted.

The sweet stuff is now being offered at day-time raves and dance parties that do not serve alcohol, according to Ozy.

At one cocoa-fuelled party in Berlin, Balinese cacao is slipped into drinks, and in New York some bars are stocking up on chocolate cocktails and cocoa pills.

There is even a chocolate company that sells cocoa-snorting devices for NZ$75.

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Raw cocoa triggers a flood of feel-good endorphins, as well as magnesium - a muscle relaxant.

It's also packed with flavanols​, which increase blood circulation and improve cognitive function, according to a recent study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Best of all, there's no hangover, hallucinogenic side effects or danger of sharing needle infection.

While not considered mind altering enough to be given drug status, experts admit effects may be due to the placebo effect.

Either way, it's still delicious.

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