Coca Is Not a Demon

Recently, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made news in the United States when he made a statement indicating that his friend, Bolivian President Evo Morales, sends him coca leaves, which he chews on a daily basis, without any negative health effects. This raised many an eyebrow among members of the Bush administration. Although consumption of coca in its purified form -- cocaine -- is not legal in the United States, other countries do include coca consumption among their ancient traditions.

As crazy as it may seem, coca chewing is not considered an illegal act or even a shocking thing to do in many other parts of the world. Coca has been used for medical reasons for centuries in the Andes: it is a non toxic, natural energizer and appetite suppressant similar to coffee; it is rich in vitamins and minerals; it calms vertigo, headaches and stomach problems; it helps with weight loss and wasting syndrome due to AIDS; and is also used for natural birth deliveries.

Coca leaves can be chewed, served as a tea, smoked or baked into pastries. The shamans in the Andes also use it for religious purposes: to enter the spiritual world and to read the future in the coca leaves.

Even today, it is not considered punishable for professional soccer players to drink coca tea when they're traveling to play in the Andes since it is well known coca tea (as with coca leaf chewing) helps overcome altitude sickness. In Peru, coca tea is openly served in hotels and restaurants as a digestive tea to people of all ages. It is so much a part of the culture that coca products are openly sold at the airport (coca candy, coca cookies) without anybody even considering for a second that this might be an illegal act elsewhere.

Nevertheless, Peru is one of the countries that signed the United Nations Vienna Convention in 1961 regulating drug production. According to this convention, coca cultivation is permitted but all production must be regulated by a government agency.

Just because it is not part of the American culture does not make it immoral. We must consider that other societies, other nations, may have their own traditions and ways of life, which have been inherited from prehistoric cultures living in ancient times. We cannot impose the "occidental" traditions as the only, correct way. We must be open to other customs and not prejudge them.

Comments

[breakfast]

What a coincidence

A friend recently returned from Peru and gave me a few bags of coca tea. He had brought back a box of coca tea bags which are packaged and sold in the markets there much like Lipton tea is marketed here.

Brewed it up and I must say it was very nice, much better than the run of the mill teas sold here.

[oldpotsmuggler]

"Just because it's not part of the American culture does not make it immoral."

As I understand it cocoa is indigenous to South America. How, then could it not be part of the American culture?

There's a theory floating about (and I aplogize for not being able to link to something I read long before Al invented the internet) that says that God only got invented because the human race was fortunate enough to have stumbled across magic mushrooms. I mean, if nature gave us God, what's so hard to believe that we can find things like appetite control, physical stamina, and access to the spirtual world there?

If you think that we already understand everyting that this old planet has to offer our minds and our bodies you're nothing but someone so far down on the evolutionary track that the rest of us can only pity you. Please, please learn to pay attention.

[urbanrevolt]

"You are brought before this court
For having ganja in your possession
Guilty or not guilty
Not guilty your honor

How could one man do such a thing... ganja
It is totally impossible your honor"

Peter Tosh- Cold blood

Hope you have better luck.

[dissolvethecorporation]

"Just because it is not part of the American culture does not make it immoral."

I have several problems with this statement: Are Peruvians not American? Are you seriously suggesting that cocaine is not part of the North American culture? Are laws against 'narcotics' based on morality, not health?

[LeftRight]

The real question is why do we care whether a world leader of a different country is violating OUR laws regarding the "war on drugs". The only other partial question is why is coca, a natural stimulant, illegal. I can almost understand cocaine, but COCA???

[Davis Sweet - Huffpost Blogger]

Americans of the Northern variety can sample a bit of Peru's tea-happy Amazon through... Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Coca-Tea-Windsor-Mate-100ct/dp/B000HAAAKI/

Imported from Bolivia, actually.

Tastes like alfalfa and packs no noticeable punch. Or so I've, um, heard.

Still, five star reviews and a potentially interesting conversation piece.

[realitytrumpsbull]

The 'war on drugs' is a great jobs program. But, if you really want people to stop USING drugs in the US, like they say they do, then what you really have to do is prevent them from being imported. That means controlling that border with Mexico. Of course, if you end the drug war, then you've got people out of work, and the budget starts to balance, but that'd be practical, and commonsensical, and that's why this tired saga will continue..­.forever..­..
Next story!