Traditionally, coca leaves are consumed in the Andes. You get it offered on every corner in plastic bags. The original form of consumption is by chewing the leaves. Mate de Coca is something of a national drink in Peru. It's also available in small tea bags, but I always had loose leaves. There's even chocolate with coca leaves! Very often there are restaurants and bars that somehow refer to coca.
The leaves are used as a stimulant, as a dietary supplement, for ritual and medicinal purposes. They help suppress hunger, fatigue and cold and are very effective against altitude sickness as they improve oxygen uptake. Also, the coca leaves have always had a spiritual meaning.
I found it similar in effect to black tea. There are no known side effects and you won't get addicted to it. It would take about 300 grams of dry coca leaves to extract 1 gram of cocaine by chemical extraction.
And please don't misunderstand, I'm absolutely no friend of the drug cocaine. People who snort this in order to feel superior, thereby contribute to terrible atrocities such as murder and trafficking.
Species in this post:
Coca
Erythroxylum coca
Topic:
➟ Peru
Details:
This post is part of the artistic performance The Happening on Instagram.
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Creator of this post is Frederic Hilpert
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