Colombia has requested the United Nations remove coca leaves from its list of harmful substances, arguing the plant itself poses no health risks and has legitimate uses beyond cocaine production.
Colombian Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia told the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna on Monday that reclassifying coca would unlock its potential for industrial applications including fertilizers and beverages.
The coca leaf, the principal ingredient in cocaine, has been listed alongside heroin and cocaine in a 1961 UN narcotics convention. The leaf is traditionally chewed as a stimulant or used for tea in several Andean nations including Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.
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“The evidence is overwhelming: drug trafficking has hindered our country’s development, victimized millions of peasants, financed terrorist groups, and devastated essential ecosystems such as the Amazon,” Sarabia said, noting that the billions of dollars have been spent on the so-called war on drugs has done nothing to stop consumption, production and trafficking.
Colombia, the world’s largest cocaine producer, saw production rise 53% to 2,600 tonnes in 2023, according to UN data. Drug cartels and guerrilla groups control much of this output.
President Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first leftist leader, has pushed for policy reforms focusing on prevention and alternative incomes for coca farmers rather than enforcement. Petro recently sparked controversy by claiming cocaine “is no worse than whisky” and suggesting global legalization would effectively dismantle trafficking networks.
Despite these reform efforts, Sarabia emphasized Colombia maintains active enforcement, having seized over 1,900 tonnes of cocaine and destroyed 454 clandestine laboratories since Petro took office in August 2022.
“We cannot allow communities to be trapped in violence and abandonment. We must bring resources and territorial transformation projects to those who need them most,” Sarabia said.
According to recent data from the World Population Review, the US tops the list of countries with the most cocaine use.
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