Bolivia Coca Leaf Soft Drink "Coca Colla"

There was a time when Coca Cola contained the drug cocaine as one of the two main ingredients. Invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton it was sold as a medicine before it was a soft drink. When launched, Coca-Cola's two key ingredients were cocaine (benzoylmethyl ecgonine) and caffeine. The cocaine was derived from the coca leaf and the caffeine from kola nut, leading to the name Coca-Cola (the "K" in Kola was replaced with a "C" for marketing purposes). Pemberton made the claim that his creation cured many diseases, including morphine addiction, dyspepsia, neurasthenia, headache, and impotence; the original recipe called for five ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup. In 1903 coca leaves containing cocaine were removed from the ingredients, but, interestingly enough in order to retain the flavor cocaine-free coca leaves are used.

The days of soft drinks with cocaine in them are not gone yet, in Bolivia plans to release a coca leaf soft drink called "Coca Colla" is under way and will have a can that resembles the classic Coca Cola logo. With the first indigenous president in office, Evo Morales (known for chewing coca leaves at UN meetings), coca growers from the Morales stronghold of Chapare in central Bolivia submitted a plan to the government last week to boost coca production with the soft drink. La Paz wants to expand Cocaine production, a market which rose 6% in 2008 and no doubt climbed even higher last year; achieving this goal will not be hard considering the strong support of high officials. The Independent reports that Bolivia, "the world's third largest producer after Colombia and Peru, yielded a coca crop of some 30,500 hectares (75,370 acres) in 2008, an increase of six percent over the previous year, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime".

Right now, Bolivian law permits the use of up to 12,000 hectares (29,650 acres) to grow coca in the Yungas stretch of forest in the Andes Mountains "only" for traditional uses such as tea, chewing and religious rituals by the Aymara ethnic group. No matter what, a large portion of what is being grown is trafficked and sold, never seeing the inside of a toothpaste tube or a tea bag. If the drugs are not being grown for the international drug market, then why would the The Morales government kick out DEA agents in 2008? Cocaine is extremely addictive, it has the power to destroy lives; 10 million people in the Andes chew raw coca leaves daily to get through the abusively long work days. In this country and around the world the same leaves that people are chewing are also being used to produce cocaine.

Fentanyl The Strongest Opiate Medication On The Market

Fentanyl, the strongest opiate medication on the market is being found on the streets today. Fentanyl is generally only prescribed to people with the severest of pain, patients with cancer, burn victims, and those who have had intensive surgery. Naturally, like all other opiate drugs, Fentanyl is being abused either by itself or it is being mixed with drugs like heroin to increase potency. The drug can be found in several different forms; from trans-dermal patches to lollipops there are multiple ways to consume Fentanyl. Every medical center in the country is at risk of having the medication stolen by patients or employees; drugs like Fentanyl need to be closely monitored to limit the amount that makes it to the streets. The drugs highly addictive properties has some people asking whether or not the drug should be restricted, which could make it very difficult for people who legitimately need the drug to acquire it.

Thaindian News reports, "some people have already started to distribute Fentanyl lollipops illegally. These illegal drugs uses the nickname, "perc-a-pop" and has become popular among a large number of people for its sweet taste. Though the price of the illegal drugs is double than the original drugs, number of people getting addicted to this drug is increasing. Not only people are using "perc-a-pop" but also some people who have been addicted to this drug have stolen them from medical centers, stated sources". Opiates have been known to be highly addictive and continued use will guarantee dependency. Drugs, like Fentanyl, have their place in society because the are highly effective for pain relief; however, if we continue to distribute these drugs we need to track them closely. Overdoses are common with strong opiates and many people do not understand how easy it is to take too much.

It will be interesting to see if drugs like Fentanyl will be heavily restricted in the near future.

Champion Tennis Player Andre Agassi Revealed that he used Crystal Methamphetamine

Champion tennis player Andre Agassi revealed that he used crystal methamphetamine in 1997 while facing emotional strain. His new autobiography revealed some things that many are finding hard to believe. Agassi, nervous about marrying Brooke Shields, began taking the drug when his assistant poured out a small pile of powder on the coffee table. In an excerpt of his book Agassi recounted, "There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I've never felt so alive, so hopeful -- and I've never felt such energy". Agassi would later fail an ATP drug test, which started a chain of events where he created a web of lies to keep from ending his career. After concocting a story for the ATP, the case was dropped; Agassi would go on to win the French Open.

Agassi wrote a letter to the ATP after failing the drug test, according to Agassi, "It's filled with lies interwoven with bits of truth. I say Slim, whom I've since fired, is a known drug user, and that he often spikes his sodas with meth - which is true. Then I come to the central lie of the letter. I say that recently I drank accidentally from one of Slim's spiked sodas, unwittingly ingesting his drugs. I ask for understanding and leniency and hastily sign it: Sincerely. I feel ashamed, of course. I promise myself that this lie is the end of it", reports CNN. Whether the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) let Agassi off because they believed his elaborate story or they did not want one of the all time tennis greats to smear the ATP's good name has not been revealed, the ATP has not commented yet on Agassi's unexpected confession.

The eight-time grand slam champion Andre Agassi retired from tennis in 2006, but, not before winning the French Open in 1998 and the U.S. Open in 1999. It seems like Agassi has not taken the drug since 1997, which is the good part of this story. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that ruins countless lives on a daily basis, it affects movie stars, athletes, and average people all the same. There is a good chance that the ATP will take some sort of action regarding Agassi's lies and then going on to win the French Open. It appears that Agassi's intention was to come clean about something that was clearly eating away at him, it is hard to argue with honesty.


See here: Part 1 Andre Agassi talks candidly to Katie Couric about his life, his strong dislike of tennis at a young age, and the depression that led him to use meth.


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If Marijuana Is Legal, Will Addiction Rise?

Marijuana legalization has been a hot button topic for many years and is one that has serious implications. America's prohibition on "Weed" has many people wondering if legalization would do more good than the current laws have done. If Marijuana is legal, will addiction rise? I have found many great arguments on both sides of the table, this topic is one that should be discussed in depth for the fact that the question at hand is an American problem; more Marijuana is consumed in the US per capita than any other country. I can see positives and negatives for the legalization of Marijuana, I am attempting to get the conversation started on this delicate subject.

I do believe the question at hand is one that most adults have asked themselves at one point or another, whether or not legalization would do more good than criminalization has? The argument that "Pot" is just like every other illegal drug does not hold as much water as it used to. That is the danger with putting all illegal drugs in the same category for the fact that it is simply illegal raises social stigmas with the uninformed; which, in turn, has impacted how the government treats people who have dealings with Marijuana. The writing is on the wall and whether or not we choose to read it greatly affects us as a nation. In many cases trying Marijuana in America has been a right of passage since the 60's, the amount of people who continue to smoke marijuana is very low. A very small percentage of all that have tried "weed" continue smoking it on a regular basis; most people become social smokers, meaning they can take it or leave it. The small group of people that smoke daily are more than likely people with addictive personalities and perhaps the disease of addiction. Norm Stamper, who was Seattle's police chief from 1994 to 2000 said in a New York Times Article, "Any law disobeyed by more than 100 million Americans, the number who've tried marijuana at least once, is bad public policy. As a 34-year police veteran, I've seen how marijuana prohibition breeds disrespect for the law, and contempt for those who enforce it... Let's make policy that helps, not handcuffs, those who suffer ill effects of marijuana or other drugs, a policy that crushes the illegal market - the cause of so much violence and harm to users and non-users alike."

With the economy spiraling out of control and doctors stating that Marijuana is no more harmful or addictive than alcohol, many people argue that legalization could be one of the answers to boosting the economy. People have been growing, selling, and smoking Marijuana despite strict laws right here in the United States; legalizing it and putting government control over the substance would allow it to be taxed, thus decreasing the black market activity exponentially. Is it a coincidence that the many of the banks in America with liquid money are in Northern California? A professor at the University of Washington, Roger Roffman, believes this could be done one of two ways. "Surveys indicate increasingly positive attitudes in the U.S. for liberalizing marijuana policies. Two ways of doing this are: (1) legalization, which would involve lawful cultivation and sale of marijuana, and (2) decriminalization, which would retain criminal penalties for cultivation and sale while removing them for possession of small amounts."

Many who have experimented with Marijuana have suffered greatly, but not necessarily regarding their health. Legal policies have, in some cases, done more damage to a person's life than the side-effects of the drug. "I support finding alternatives to criminal penalties for marijuana possession. Those penalties have costs (being jailed, having a criminal record, barriers to employment, loss of scholarships, to name a few) and may accomplish little in deterring use."(Roger Roffman) Justification for this level of punishment has yet to be seen, nor has any good argument been clearly stated for why Marijuana is illegal and not Alcohol or Cigarettes. Why?

In this post I have tried to present a non-biased view of a subject that is at the forefront of social politics. I am not sure what the right answer to this problem is, if any at all; what I do know is that change needs to be considered regarding Marijuana policy in America. If legalization does come to fruition, policy makers need to be careful in the way it is done; there would need to be stringent rules in the way it is marketed and the way it is distributed. I do believe Americans can find a way to meet in the middle on this subject but it will take people on both sides being honest and realistic in the way we proceed. The idea is to lower drug related crimes and keep our children educated and informed of the possibility of addiction with Marijuana and all drugs for that matter. What we don't want is people getting rich off "pushing" the disease of addiction, that is promoting a product that can be addictive, as the cigarette marketers did for so many years. "Telling marketers they can get rich by creating disease is dangerous." - Mark A.R. Kleiman, Professor of Public Policy at U.C.L.A.

Our Whiteside Manor Blog seeks to be topical in the areas of addiction and recovery. As California considers new law, let us know your thoughts on this important subject...

In the meantime, I invite you to watch Dr. Nancy Snyderman of NBC News, as she discusses with a panel "Should Marijuana be Legal?"

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