Coca and Cocaine

In our last class of the summer semester we talked about the addictions. Marijuana, tequila (blue agave), coca and opiates. The one that stood out to me the most was coca. Native to South America, the coca plant is used daily in a lot of South America. The leaves of the coca plant can be chewed and made into tea in its natural state and when chemically altered it can be turned into cocaine. When used in tea or chewed the coca plant does not give off the same "high" as one would assume it would. It is said to give you energy and even help with altitude sickness. The coca leaf is often sold by the bag at markets and by street vendors. The most dangerous part about this particular plant is that many people use it to make and sell cocaine to the U.S. After watching a video in class my eyes were opened to the realities that many people face daily. Many young men are forced into cultivating the leaves and making cocaine. In the video it showed the process of producing the cocaine, which includes adding battery acid, bleach and many other harmful chemicals. In these small towns cocaine is used as cash because there is a lack of it. I found it so sad that many of these people have no chance at making it to college or even finishing their secondary education and graduating highschool. Many of the producers of the cocaine don't use it because they are aware of how bad it can be for ones body. When they are done with the process the cocaine is sent off on horses and the people never know who it's really going to. They just get money back from the illegal distribution that goes on in the United States. Watching that video make me aware of how lucky I am to attend Texas A&M and hopefully create a future for myself.

JNH