Coca-Colla and The Real Coke

Coca-Cola's first formula contained an ingredient which provided drinkers with a bit more of a boost than caffeine; Coca-Cola originally contained cocaine, despite the company's insistence that it never did. In fact, Coca-Cola was literally named for its two main ingredients: the Coca plant (Coca), and the kola nut (Cola). Everyone knows this, though, apparently, some people still find it hard to believe. According to some sources, cocaine remained an ingredient of Coca-Cola until 1929; others say the famous soda still includes traces of the coca leaf - though it is now denatured coca leaves (meaning the cocaine has already been extracted).

The truth is that most soft drinks of the late 1800s (when Coca-Cola was first made and sold) contained cocaine, so it was not unusual. Like these other soft drinks, Coca-Cola was originally marketed as a medicine, and an alternative to alcoholic beverages. Though the company claims the "original" recipe is still used, Coca-Cola's famous recipe has actually been altered a few times over the years, so no Coca-Cola today can truly be called "The Real Thing."

Now, a Bolivian company is manufacturing a cocaine-laced soft drink called Coca-Colla. While the "Colla" bit is actually named for the Colla people of the Bolivian highlands, the "Coca" is absolutely in reference to the coca plant, which is a major ingredient of Coca-Colla.

Bolivia has tried to stop cultivation of the coca plant in the past, largely at America's behest, but their new president, Evo Morales, is a coca grower who publicly champions the crop as a legitimate product with many uses. While it has established a "zero-tolerance" policy for cocaine, Morales' administration has encouraged Bolivian companies to use coca in products including tea, syrup, liqueurs - even toothpaste - and has backed Coca-Colla from the start.

"The industrialization of coca interests us," the deputy minister of rural development told reporters. If the products containing coca are successful, the government has vowed to increase the number of acres set aside for coca production from 30,000 acres to 50,000 acres. Obviously - and sadly - the American government has already condemned this, saying the majority of the coca plants would be used for the production of cocaine.

In 2005, the Paez Indians of Columbia created Coca Sek, a soft drink made of coca leaves, and distributed crushed coca leaves as tea. The coca leaf is used daily in most parts of South America, and has been used for cooking, medicinal purposes, and in religious rites for centuries. The Paez said they were trying to disassociate the coca leaf from cocaine, "We wanted to convince people that coca is not the same as the drug, and allow indigenous people to be proud of the leaf," David Curtido, who lead the Coca Sek and coca-based products projects. Coca Sek was banned in 2006, thanks to pressure from the UN's international narcotics control board.

Coca-Colla is bottled with a red label. Experts expect the Coca-Cola company to file suit against the maker, but the Atlanta, Georgia-based corporation has not responded to questions concerning Coca-Colla.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010