By Jay Syrmopoulos La Paz, Bolivia – On Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to Bolivia, the pontiff has requested to chew coca leaves, the raw ingredient for cocaine, according to Bolivian Culture Minister Marko Machicao.
The Pope was offered coca tea by the Bolivian government, but “specifically requested” to chew the coca leaves. The coca leaf has been utilized for thousands of years in the Andes region as a mild stimulant and to counteract the effects of altitude sickness.
According to a study published by Harvard University in 1975, (Nutritional Value of Coca Leaf (Duke, Aulick, Plowman 1975)) chewing 100 grams of coca, is enough to …read more