Iudexk: If you were starting with tropane, you would have to add the carboxymethyl group, add methylsulfonyl chloride and reduce the ketone to the alcohol to get the second product in the picture series. It would also consist of eight stereoisomers if not resolved. If you start with cocaine, the stereochemistry is already in place, which for some people would outweigh the cost of cocaine compared to tropinone.
Starting all the way from scratch (from acetonedicarboxylic acid/succindialdehyde/methylamine), there are shortcuts to prevent too much of the undesired isomers, but that is also a long route.
