• cybervseas@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    They do still use coca leaf with the cocaine removed. Also fwiw in Cusco, hotels have bowls of coca leaves and you can grab and chew them. It helps with altitude sickness and gives you a little boost of energy. In its unrefined form coca leaf is more like coffee than cocaine.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I was visiting some friends in the UK, and they had a little plastic packet of coca leaves with a label that said WELCOME TO ECUADOR on it. They didn’t even know what they were. I’m guessing it wasn’t legal for them to bring them back. They’re lucky they didn’t get caught.