[29athrowaway]

For thousands of years people have munched coca leaves and made teas out of that and there has been no problems whatsoever.

The problem started when someone took a bunch of those leaves, mixed them with a bunch of chemicals to create a highly concentrated substance.

[recuter]

You mean Coca Cola? I agree, fizzy drinks are very bad for you. We should tax 'em.

[29athrowaway]

Modern Coca Cola uses decocainized leaf extract.

[recuter]

I know it sounds wild but this factoid and the Coca Cola company have quite a bit to do with the US government attitude towards the coca leaf and its legal status.

See links posted upthread.