Hilmar;

My wife is from Peru and I have studied a bit about history. Before the Spaniards conquered the Inca Empire, Indians working at high altitude chewed coca leaves to reduce the effects of altitude sickness and enable them to work for long hours with less fatigue. When the Spaniards took over the land, it was forbidden to chew coca.

With Independence of each of the countries that comprised the previous Inca Empire, the custom of chewing coca returned. Typically, a Spaniard owned the land worked by Indians. As the owner of land wanted the greatest productivity from his/her workers chewing of coca was encouraged. Tea made from coca was introduced to visitors to high altitude places.

Chewing coca leaves will discolor the teeth and gums if done for a long time. I do not know if you can still buy coca leaves over the counter at a pharmacy but in Peru, you could do so. If the Indians in Peru want to get high, they drink chicha. The best chicha is made from purple corn.

To make traditional chicha, a woman will chew the purple corn and spit the contents from her mouth into a hole dug into the ground. The resultant liquid is allowed to ferment for several days and is then consumed. This is done at an altitude of 9000 feet or more and is a traditional method. In Lima, you can get a package of what I call “Peruvian Kool Aid”, which is purple ground whatever to which you add water. A favorite of expression of my wife is, “Ay, Chicha”!

Tom

>>>Drugs are explicitly prohibited. I don't know if coca leaves would be prohibited - as opposed to the refined end-product. AFAIK, there is no explicit prohibition against coca leaves.
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>>But wouldn't the Coca leaf be considered a drug? If it alters the bodies chemical balance to produce euphoria, I'd think its a drug. Just like a marijuana leaf.
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>I simply don't know enough to give my opinion on the subject. But, relating to your statement, I think that: a) Drinking a tea from E.Coca doesn't produce euphoria. b) I don't know about chewing E.Coca all day long, but I believe the main effect is not to produce euphoria, but to forget fatigue. Not quite the same, I think.
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>>Thats interesting. What do these "peasants" do, typically? Farm work and hard labor?
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>Yes, that's what I meant. Typically poor people, who don't have enough food, for instance. Malnutrition is a serious problem here in Bolivia. So is infant mortality, lack of education, and other "social indicators"...
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>I just looked "peasant" up in www.britanica.com, and found: "2. a usually uneducated person of low social status". While I might have used "farmer" instead, I think "peasant" is more accurate. This wasn't meant to be derogatory, it just illustrates the actual situation.
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>Hilmar.