Culture - Mission to Legalize Coca Plants in Canada

[Powder_Reality]

I've been doing a lot of research on the coca plant in the last little while and feel that Canada should rethink it's current laws on coca. Of course I know that I myself can not legalize a plant, but I feel that Canada should start a campaign to legalize Coca. Like Marc Emery started a revolution to legalize marijuana in Canada, I think coca also needs to be considered. It seems like I've been reading nothing but articles on how countries are trying to eradicate the coca plant during the last month. Canada, primarily BC, has always led the way for trying new political and medical techniques in North America. Vancouver is the home of the only supervised safe injection site in North America. Of course Canda has the reputation of being a fairly pot friendly country, but all that may change with our new prime minister. I think that Canada needs more advocates for legalization now more than ever, and not just for marijuana. Coca seems like a good plant to start pushing for, as it has many health benefits when consumed orally. Also, coca naturally has alkaloids that block most of the effects of the cocaine alkaloid, so it's not like someone can buy a bunch of coca tea and get high off of it. If Canada legalized coca plants, it's another step in the direction of harm reduction, as well as opening up a new market and cash crop. I think it's time we turned our focus to legalizing all naturally occuring plants in Canada, especially now that Stephen Harper is in office. What do you think?

[Omelet]

I really doubt that this would happen before the legalization of marijuana. people seem to associate cocaine with death, crime, violence, etc... at least a lot more than pot...

But hey, it's worth a shot... and you have some real good points... more power to ya

[Powder_Reality]

That's the thing though. In order to give coca a better image, people have to stop immediately thinking of cocaine when they hear coca. Coca and cocaine are 2 different things. Cocaine is just an alkaloid within the coca plant. Yes, cocaine can be processed from coca, but heroin can also be processed from the papaver somniferum poppy, and those are growing in people's front yards.

[ilovespamthemeat]

omGsHzzz GO GO GO GO

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jatelka]

Originally Posted by ilovespamthemeat

omGsHzzz GO GO GO GO

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ilovespamthemeat: What you are doing IS spam.

Please READ THE RULES of drugs forum. They can be found here...

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/ann...t.php?f=43&a=1

Pointless oneliners can be posted in the "Useless Chatter" thread here...

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5672

Thankyou

[ilovespamthemeat]

oooh oops. got too excited HEHE

[KorSare]

I think the word you're looking for is "decriminalize" rather than "legalize."

If all naturally occurring plants were "legalized" in Canada, it wouldn't be long before farmers in Saskatchewan started growing acres of poppies or coca plants.

The political ramifications would be enormous, especially since we border with the US of A.

I agree that there are many medicinal possibilities that could arise from the decriminalization of illegal plants.... but I feel politicians these days are fueled by other motives, not including scientific breakthroughs. Especially when such breakthroughs will presumably have little affect on economy, since such products would be illegal to trade internationally.

And especially politicians like Stephen Harper.

If only more people would vote for the Green Party...........

Reputation Comments on this post:

I think he said what he meant. You may be right, but thats irrelevent.

[motorhead]

Yes maybe if the Green Party got in! Ha, but of course the states would simple start dropping agent orange or whatever it is they use to eradicate coca crops like in south america lol. Its a nice thought but, sadly, a pipe dream. Baby steps, lets get weed decrimed first then we'll go for coca!

[Benga]

I agree with what you wrote. The main problem with growing coca would be if people started growing large fields or importing large amounts for cocaine production, substance which would stay illegal. i think cocaine shouldn't, and that all drugs should be legalised, some because of their relative inocuity and lack of social consequences and others specifically because of the physical and social problems associated with them. Addiction is a socio-medical problem and not a legal one and using products for pleasure is not wrong, bad, immoral or a reprehensible behaviour, but one which should be dealt with in a responsible and realistic way-- but this is far from the original subject.
Coca use should be legal, i agree. The classification of "coca plants and plant parts" was a mistake, and coca is a truly helpful plant, providing light stimulation along with vitamins, nutrients. There is no addiction potential in traditional coca chewing, and coca tea effects and dangers are comparable to green tea ( actually probably less dangerous since green tea could cause a problem with iron fixation).
People, farmers and now politicians of traditional coca growing areas have realised this, and stopped fighting traditional use, and even started promoting it, with legalisation of small patches in traditional growing areas, creation of ENACO, the national coca promotion/ production agency in Peru, actions of Morales.
The image of coca is finally changing, and by-products creation and production is increasing ( lately SWIM has tried coca pills, ie micropulverised leaves in gels which can replace vitamin tablets, and provide a refresh of energy), teas, toothpastes, wines, drinks ( the new guarana ?), ointments, honeys, sours....
you won't get high off coca leaves, and even if you did ( by consuming enormous amounts of plant material ) the "high" is nothing like cocaine, has none of the dangers or side-effects, even though cocaine is part of the picture since it one of the alkaloids in the plant. Coca is not cocaine. And let's be honest, coca stimulation is much more pleasurable than coffee, as it has little of the the jittery-nerve shaking qualities - it is more subtle, glowing, has a real mood lifting effect , and feels like a replennishent of energy, refreshment- than actual stimulation. You can work more, longer, get less tired and more positive-
which is way the plant was used for walking, working in fields or mines- or ritualistic reasons in andean religions ( mourning, and in some areas virtually all ceremonies, also due to its status of sacred plant for the incas).
things are changing in europe as well were in some countries coca (tea) can be found in south american shops. European Customs don't seems to be cracking down on coca users, even though the plant is classified-and i doubt this is because they are unaware of the new TREND (nudge nudge wink wink) of people using coca, drinking coca tea or chewing leaves for pleasure or health reasons, but because it doesn't really make sense - even though this argument has never stopped repression of any form before, the situation seems that of status quo, and we can hope that this situation is maintained, and then changed for the better ( removing the coca plant and plant parts from the international list), by a combination of : real information on this plant, development of its use and byproducts, political pressure from the coca lobby in the south american countries and those supporting a rethinking of north-south relationships. I remember an american anti-drug message saying something along the lines of "i used cocaine last night it was fun i killed a south american family".... well if you use coca and support traditional coca use and farming, in a way this is fighting the negative side of the cocaine problem, growing for cocaine production, were the crop is bought and processed by the cartels who end up with enough money and political / military power to rule a country. the key is not spraying coca fields ( were this pollutes environment, earth rivers- and people)
, but a realistic- concrete look at the COCAINE problem, leading to different drug policy- state controled supply, prices and medico-social backing- in order to kill the source of income of these cartels, hence power- and then a PROMOTION of coca growing, and use for the peasants- as this is a useful crop for the world.

you can read more on the subject on the ( now defunct ?) www.mamacoca.org website.
I have also posted other opinions on the subject in the coca section of the forum if you dig around as i am particuarly interested in this issue.
it interesting because coca status is two-fold : on one side a useful, beneficial plant with no addiction side effects, providing pleasure comparable to that of coffee-only better for you. None of the socio-medical and moral issues that you would find with a plant like cannabis or poppies which "get you high" etc...
andd on the other, the association with cocaine production, and which associate it with cocaine's very strong issues and politics...
Really it is time to promote this plant for what it is, a healthy light stimulant with vitamins and nutrients with no strings attached - seperate it from cocaine related issues and deal with these cocaine issues in a more mature and realistic way- which implies government involvement, distribution and management of what should be seen as a medical and social sensitive area, and treated as such, instead of this useless "war" which is only feeding the cartels ( because of the high commercial value of cocaine), political instability, death, crime etc...

b

Reputation Comments on this post:

Very well put.

[idr0p]

cocaine was made illegal for the same reason all drugs were made illegal racism... one of the main reasons cocaine was added to the list of illegal drugs was because people in power told the public black men were getting high on cocaine and raping white women.. which is rediculous, in fact if cocaine wasnt illegalized we would have save alot of anti drug money, prison money and alot more.. people didnt abuse cocaine back in the day the way people do now... so i think it is too late and it shall stay illegal for it was legalized there would be a period of Yackhead hopping around before the world learns how to control themselves.

[Sloop]

Outside of a glass house that is, i think it is just too cold

Coca grows in many countries and is present on all the earths continents in the tropics and sub tropics thanks to all the big colonial powers back a bit searching for a buck and the need to have strong topical aneasthetics in the time of war. Japan was a huge producer at one stage

but legalising it to be able to import the leaf for tea or chewing or other culinary pursuits would be a great step forward and supported by many indigenous groups from the Andes. I was under the understanding that all the coca farming union of Bolivia wants was the right to sell or export their leaf product and let countries do with it as they wish

at the moment a company connected to the coca cola company is the only bunch with this legal right. though the worlds big mafias have carte blanche on it while we observe the war on drugs smoke screen. I dont like your chances of changing this situation for your up against racism, vested interests like the IMF big banks and pharmaceuitcal companies and even the churches to some degree but i certainly wish you luck

the hypocrisy of the current situations is unbelievable
Cocaine analougues are available in just about every pharmacy on earth, the Bolivian growers argue that they can provide the base materials for these analougues at a far cheaper prices than the synthetic chemical factories. We are talking about billions of dollars here, skin creams, throat lozenges topical anaesthetics, none of which are any where as good for that purpose as the real thing. and the real thing is still often called for in the more serious work

All the information necessary to build the basis for the cocaine analougue industry was originally given for free from the indigenous people of South America. The indigenous people have never received one cent in royalties for this knowledge, surprise surprise

and since the synthetic creation of cocaine analougues like novocaine have not been able to export their leaf

the countries allowed to make synthetic coke analougues are all in Europe and USA

the consumers of this planet may likely be paying for it by second grade products at more expensive prices than those extracted from the leaf

what is the reason for this? money and power!

Do you think they will let you import that leaf or grow it? Even though it clearly has many potential health benefits when properly consumed from obesity to diabetes to nutrition

good luck







every