"Concerned about the future of this cultural and religious practice, Daynor Choque, heir to this ancient tradition, points to a pile of leaves on the table in front of him. We have been using coca without any problems since the time of our ancestors, says Choque, leader of the commercial arm of local coca producers. Now, producers are being pushed into the illegal cocaine market just to survive unless we can sell our coca legally on international markets."
"65 years after the UN's convention on narcotic drugs first declared that the coca leaf should be as restricted as its derivative, refined cocaine, the World Health Organization (WHO) refused to change the leaf's status. Even though a recent WHO critical review found that coca leaf (Erythroxylum coca) does not harm human health, the leaf which contains 1% or less of the cocaine alkaloid remains on the same dangerous drug list as heroin, fentanyl and cocaine."
Andean people around Coripata, east of La Paz, Bolivia, have used coca leaves for thousands of years to relieve fatigue, hunger, altitude sickness (soroche), headaches and digestive problems. Local leaders and growers depend on coca for cultural, religious and economic reasons and warn that restrictive policies push producers toward the illegal cocaine trade. Bolivia and Colombia requested a WHO critical review in 2023, but the World Health Organization refused to change the coca leaf's status. The coca leaf contains about 1% or less cocaine alkaloid yet remains listed under the 1961 UN narcotics convention alongside heroin and fentanyl.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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