Evo Morales

This is a coca leaf. This is not cocaine. This represents the culture of indigenous people of the Andean region.

Bolivian Statesman

In South America, coca is part of cultural practices and is not illegal.

Local Tradition

Globally, coca leaves are controlled substances; legality varies by country.

Legal Status

Coca leaves themselves are not usually addictive when used traditionally.

Non-Drug Use

The drug form of coca is associated with illegal activity and health risks.

Negative Connotations

Coca in drug form is highly addictive and harmful.

Addictive Substance

Coca as a soft drink refers to the popular Coca-Cola, not the drug or plant.

Well-Known Brand

Using 'coca' to mean 'Coca-Cola' is casual and mostly understood in informal contexts.

Informal Setting

 you will see that it almost perfectly aligns with the most efficient routes of transportation from the south to the north. The only thing that the cartels are doing is that they're trying to protect their business. It's not only a multi-billion dollar market, but it's also a complex one. For example, the coca plant is a fragile plant

The deadly genius of...

 where a remarkable psychoactive substance, ayahuasca, can be legally bought and consumed provided it's done so within a religious context. Look in Bolivia and Peru, where all sorts of products made from the coca leaf, the source of cocaine, are sold legally over the counter

Ethan Nadelmann: Why we...

 on what was clearly the most extraordinary trip of my life. These really are a people who live and breathe the realm of the sacred, a baroque religiosity that is simply awesome. They consume more coca leaves than any human population, half a pound per man, per day.

Wade Davis: The...

 bottle in their push cart or their wheelbarrow so they rely on Coca Cola in terms of its marketing and what's the secret to their marketing well it's aspirational it associates that product with a kind of life that people want to live so even though it's a global

What nonprofits can...

 They are just people trying to make a living. And what I saw was this endless poverty trap. Three years ago now, I'd bought an illegal coca plantation by mistake. These are raw coca leaves. They have the highest alkaloid content of any coca leaves in the world.

I Bought a Rain Forest,...

 He dashes toward their shaman. Barely pausing to say hello, he offers him hematite, dried seaweed, and empty shells to grind up for lime and chew with coca leaves. In return, the other shaman gives him the precious cinnabar.

A day in the life of a...

 For example, I predict that we will move away from a plant-based narcotics world to a synthetic one. Why do you need the plants anymore? You can just take the DNA code from marijuana or poppies or coca leaves

Marc Goodman: A vision...

 to taste the same as coke made by other bottlers around the world it's a challenge because the butler's provide Coca Cola's main ingredient water the drink is about 90% water water can taste

Secret Formula of...

 Researchers discovered how to extract cocaine from coca leaves over 150 years ago, and Americans got their first taste

How Coca Leaves Become...

 it's just down the hill here oh yeah coca coca leaves cocoa plantation coffee plantation