Is Cocaine Running Through Your Veins?

 

Image courtesy of Victor Habbick / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of Victor Habbick / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

Have you had any medical procedures? Do you drink Coca Cola? If so, then you may want to see this.

The Coca leaf has been used  in South America as a medicine and stimulant  for more than 4,000 years. It is a natural stimulant that when chewed, suppresses fatigue, hunger, pain and thirst.  Local farmers in Andean countries depend on the crop for survival.

According to farmers in Bolivia’s Chapare region, Coca is the only crop that will flourish in their town. They also claim that chewing the leaves gives their people the strength to work long hours without much food. In many parts of South America, the  local farmers who grow it are labeled drug dealers but it is legal for US companies, like Coca Cola, to produce the crops.

This is largely due to The War On Drugs started, by president Nixon in 1971, after years of Cocaine abuse in the US. For the last 20 years or so, the US has financed various South American Government’s efforts to prevent local farmers from growing the herb. However, it appears they are losing the battle.

In 2013 Bolivia regained its status as a party to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. Today, local Coca leaf chewing and farming are legal.  “The policy has been credited with a fall in Cocaine production for the country, leading some experts to see the Bolivian model as the way forward for other countries.” -Jamie Doward

The German chemist  Albert Niemann  takes the credit for creating Cocaine, extracted from  Coca leaves, in 1859. Twenty years later, Cocaine became popular in the medical community. Tinctures were used to numb nerve endings and treat ailments like depression and impotence.  Widely used in tonics and elixirs for its health benefits, Cocaine was the” green tea” of the early 1900’s.  Today, Stephan Company still imports close to 200,000 KG of Coca for use in medicine and  Coca Cola products.

Some doctors use Cocaine  as an immune modulator for rheumatoid arthritis and pediatric nephrotic syndrome  and as a vasoconstrictor for head and neck surgeries. Cocaine Hydrochloride is a topical used before procedures like biopsies, stitches and wound cleaning.  However, modern surgeons prefer synthetics, like lidocaine and tetracaine, which are deemed safer replacements in many cases.

John Pemberton added Coca Leaf extract to the original ingredients of Coca Cola in 1886. “The euphoric and energizing effects on the consumer helped to skyrocket the popularity of Coca-Cola by the turn of the century.” – drugfreeworld.org  When the dangerous side-effects of Cocaine became evident, Coca Cola was pressured into removing Cocaine from the beverage.

Despite having “removed” Cocaine from its soda, Coca Cola is the only corporation allowed to import Coca leaves into the United States. This privilege was kept secret until the 1980’s when the New York Times exposed the truth. So, how is Coca leaf used in the world’s favorite soft drink?

Coca Cola wants you to believe that they only use the Coca Leaf extract for flavoring. However,  Coca Cola’s ingredients are, as many describe, “the most closely guarded ingredients in America.” If you are one of billions addicted to the popular beverage, you may want o examine the cause of your dependence. Is it the caffeine, sugar, sodium or is there some other ingredient that they do not want you to know about?

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Sources:

Coca Lives, Roberto Lanza

A Secret History of Coffee, Coca & Cola, Ricardo Cortes

A Review of The History, Actions and Legitimate Uses of Cocaine

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2485453

Coca Leaf:  Myths and Reality A Beginners Guide To Coca, Tom Blickman

http://www.tni.org/primer/coca-leaf-myths-and-reality

The Origins of Coca, DEA Museum

http://www.deamuseum.org/ccp/coca/history.html

Cocaine Hydrochloride

http://www.medicinenet.com/cocaine_hydrochloride-topical/article.htm

Stephen and Cocaine in Coca Cola

http://www.businessinsider.com/stepan-and-cocaine-in-coca-cola-2013-3

Cocaine: A Short Story

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/cocaine/a-short-history.html

To this Day Coca Cola Still Imports Coca Leaves Which Are Used To Manufacture Cocaine In The United States

http://www.naturalnews.com/032658_Coca-Cola_cocaine.html#

Bolivians Demand The Right To Chew Coca Leaves, Jamie Doward

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/13/bolivia-drugs-row-chew-coca

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