Pubdate: Mon, 07 Oct 2013 Source: Independent (UK) Copyright: 2013 Independent Newspapers (UK) Ltd. Contact: http://www.independent.co.uk/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/209 Author: Johnathan Brown LIFTING BAN ON COCAINE PLANT CAN HELP MILLIONS OF LIVES, MPS ARE TOLD For centuries the coca leaf was a staple of Andean culture, prized for its medicinal qualities, especially in the alleviation of altitude sickness. But the booming demand for cocaine, of which the leaf is the central ingredient, saw the plant outlawed by international governments with devastating effects for farmers who had grown it for generations. An independent report commissioned by the All- Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform published today urges that the illegal status should be reviewed and research conducted into the possible legal uses of the leaf which, it is claimed, could benefit the lives of millions of the world's poorest. It was banned in 1961 amid mounting concern over the impact of the global cocaine trade. But a 1995 report by the World Health Organisation found there were "no negative health effects" resulting from coca use. The findings were never published, following pressure from the US which has pursued a long-standing policy of destroying crops. Evidence from the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy last week found cocaine was 51 per cent cheaper than in 1990, while its potency had increased. Group chair Baroness Meacher said that the war on drugs had also had "disastrous consequences" in the developing world. "The employment of poor farmers and their families by the drug barons in Colombia and other Andean countries continues to be irresistible while few, if any, alternatives exist. But these farmers could earn a legitimate income growing a crop to generate products with positive therapeutic, cultural and social functions," she said. Governments should consider using aid budgets to create regulated markets in which the alkaloid that makes cocaine was safely removed from the leaf and alternative products found, the report said. Danny Kuschlick of the Transform Drugs Policy Foundation welcomed the proposal. "It should never have been made illegal. It is the equivalent of making tea, coffee beans or chocolate illegal," he said. [Sidebar] Uses for coca Coca flour: the leaf's 19.6 per cent protein content could make it beneficial in geriatric diets, while its high levels of calcium suggest use to help with broken bones and osteoporosis Wine: coca wine is advertised as an antidepressant in Latin America. Oil: coca leaves contain methyl salicylate, used in mouthwash. Cocaine addiction: scientists have claimed that chewing coca leaves could reduce cocaine dependency in users. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom