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World Health Organization Won’t Ease Coca Leaf Ban, Even As Review Found Prohibition Is More Dangerous Than The Plant

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3 months ago

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“It is unacceptable for humanity to demonize a sacred medicinal plant. It was a political decision rather than a scientific one.”

By Mattha Busby, Filter

The The World Health Organization had a historic opportunity to ease the strict global ban on the coca leaf-ban, campaigners said, “racist and colonial” the roots. But the agency has decided not to.

WHO expert review he determined in September how millions of people in the Andes consume the coca leaf daily as part of a long-standing cultural practice without significant negative effects, and conversely that coca control strategies are associated with significant public health harm.

And yet, on December 2nd, the WHO’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) recommended that the plant be kept in Annex I of the United Nations drug treaties—the most restrictive category of control—because coca leaves can be converted relatively easily into cocaine.

“The simplicity of extracting cocaine from cocaine and its high yield and profitability are well known,” ECDD wrote. “The Commission has also examined evidence of significant increases in the cultivation of cocaine and the production of cocaine-related substances in the context of significant and growing public health concerns about the use of cocaine. In this context, the Commission believes that the reduction or elimination of international controls on the coca leaf may pose a particularly serious risk to public health.”

The commission noted a 34 percent year-on-year increase in cocaine production in 2023, with some countries experiencing historically high levels. But supporters of reform emphasize that coke is not cocaine. They point out that the WHO review supports the plant’s medical potential and the lack of evidence of problematic coca leaf use anywhere in the world — two key criteria a drug must meet to be placed on a less restrictive schedule.

“It is unacceptable for humanity to demonize a sacred medicinal plant”, Jaison Perez Villafaña, guardian of wisdom or mother From the Arhuaco community in Colombia, he said The filter. “It was a political decision rather than a scientific one. Coca leaf (help) is not to blame for the fact that humans with economic interests turned it into cocaine”.

The ECDD said it recognized that “the coca leaf has important cultural and therapeutic value to indigenous peoples and other communities and that there are exceptions to the traditional use of the coca leaf in certain national settings.” A coalition of indigenous coca leaf producers and consumers he wrote The WHO in October asked the UN body to “clearly distinguish” between traditional coca use and cocaine-related issues.

Steve Rolles, senior policy analyst at the Transform Drug Policy Foundation, called the WHO’s suggestion that keeping coca on Schedule 1 would limit cocaine production “ridiculous”, saying the decision exposed the “moral and scientific failure” of drug control worldwide.

“While we might expect them to emerge from political institutions embedded in drug war narratives, there was a sense that the more objective, scientific and nominally independent corners of the UN would maintain a level of pragmatism and principle, even if their recommendations were later rejected by UN political entities.” he wrote It’s LinkedIn.

“The dangers of cocaine powder or smoked crack cocaine, creations of the global North, which is also by far the largest market for both, depend on the traditional use of coca, chewed or in tea, which only occurs in the South,” added Rolles. “It is the global South where the burden of the failed war on cocaine and the criminalization of entire cultures is felt most acutely.”

In 2020, following a WHO recommendation, the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs voted to ease international controls on cannabis, recognizing its medical value after decades of “referral madness”. For reform advocates, the decision represented a slow and delayed shift to evidence-based programming. That is why there was hope that the UN system could also separate the coca leaf — which contains less than 1 percent of the alkaloid cocaine — from the refined powder that feeds global demand.

However, coca will continue to be treated as if it has the same risk profile as cocaine, after a WHO review confirmed that coca chewing has not caused any documented deaths, is not associated with high addiction or “abuse” potential, and has possible therapeutic applications, from anti-inflammatory effects to modest improvements in post-meal glucose.

“The WHO decision is deeply disappointing and disturbing,” Ann Fordham, executive director of the International Council on Drug Policy, said in a press release. “This was no ordinary study, it was a critical test of the UN drug control system. The Commission has demonstrated that it cannot objectively assess the evidence or consider the human rights implications of prohibition. Instead, it has chosen to reinforce the racist and colonial foundations of international drug control. This decision makes it clear that the system is broken and resistant to meaningful reform.”

Experts have long argued that the logic behind the coca ban is selective and ignores existing treaty precedent. Plants such as ephedra used to manufacture methamphetamine, psilocybin-containing mushrooms, and cacti that produce mescaline remain unscheduled at the plant level, although they are used to produce controlled substances.

While open persecution of coca chewers has eased in the Andes, the ban still shapes daily life in parts of the region, from farmers losing crops to stopping aerial fumigation campaigns, eradication forces and communities caught between the networks that dominate the cocaine trade. In a September study, an independent group of experts hired by the WHO said that studies that showed exposure to harmful glyphosate-based pesticides such as Roundup, a probable carcinogen, by aerial spraying of coca crops by authorities “increased the number of abortions and increased the number of medical consultations related to dermatological and respiratory diseases in communities”.

The review added that another study showed that forced coca eradication encouraged coca growers to increase production through the use of toxic agrochemicals “on more or subsequent coca plots, increasing exposure to these chemicals.”

Villafaña and other indigenous leaders have warned that these pressures are cultural violence. Coca is central to Andean communities’ spiritual practice, conflict resolution, work, ceremony, and community health; however, using it outside of the narrow “traditional” exemptions puts people at risk of criminal penalties.

“It would be useful for us as a culture,” said Villafaña, “if the world recognized it as a sacred plant and did not demonize it.” But, he added, the decision would not otherwise affect his community, as its members will continue to chew coca as they have always done.

This the article Originally published by the author the filteran online magazine that deals with drug use, drug policy and human rights from a harm reduction perspective. Keep the filter on Bluesky, X or Facebookand sign up for their newsletter.

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Cannabis products recalled due to “unreliable” tests

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12 hours ago

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March 3, 2026

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New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has recalled several cannabis products after finding that reported results from a testing laboratory were “unreliable.”

OCM says it has found a total of 54 product lots that tested false positive for Aspergillus, the mold that causes disease. According to OCM, another batch of product had incorrect results for the heavy metal cadmium.

“When test results are inaccurate or unclear, product safety and, in turn, the safety of New York State consumers cannot be guaranteed,” said OCM Executive Deputy Director of Licensing, Enforcement and Laboratories Stephen Geskey. “It’s not a risk OCM is willing to take.”

This information comes from an audit of inspections and records conducted by Keystone State Testing New York between December 2025 and January 2026. According to OCM, there have been no reports of the effects of consuming any of the products.

Read more at News 10










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Virginia House And Senate Lawmakers Advance Marijuana Sales Legalization Bills Toward Governor’s Desk

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12 hours ago

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March 3, 2026

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The march to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana in Virginia continues, with the full House of Representatives and a Senate committee advancing a pair of bills to create a regulated adult cannabis market in the commonwealth.

The House on Tuesday approved the second reading of the cannabis sale bill passed by the Senate, giving it the chance to pass it definitively in the chamber. Earlier, a House measure moved through the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee on a 10-5 vote, sending the measure back to the floor for consideration.

Both chambers’ marijuana-sale proposals aim to give adults a legal way to buy cannabis, legalizing both state possession and home cultivation in 2021, though there are key differences between them.

Bicameral measures—HB 642 and SB 542—Recently changed to allow micro business licensees to cultivate, process or conduct retail sales at two locations instead of one, as long as they are within 10 miles of each other and operate under common ownership and control.

Lawmakers also revised the legislation to clarify that current medical cannabis businesses would only be able to grow cannabis indoors, including in secure greenhouses with a total hood of 70,000 square feet. The amendments also would not allow additional marijuana licenses with “dual-use privileges” beyond medical licenses.

Finally, the measure’s conversion fee structure was revised to pay current medical marijuana companies the privilege of dividing the adult-use market into three parts.

There are some key differences between the House bills that still need to be ironed out — related to the start date of legal sales and cannabis tax rates — before a final product can be delivered to the governor’s desk.

Here are the key details of Virginia’s marijuana sales legalization legislation, SB 542 and HB 642:

  • Adults would be able to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana in a single transaction, or up to an equivalent amount of other cannabis products, as determined by regulators.
  • The House bill sets a statewide sales date of Nov. 1, 2026, while the Senate measure would allow it to begin on Jan. 1, 2027.
  • The Senate bill would impose a 12.875 percent excise tax on cannabis products, in addition to a 1.125 percent state sales tax and a mandatory 3 percent local tax. The House measure would apply a 6 percent excise tax, as well as a 5.3 percent retail sales and use tax, allowing municipalities to impose a 3.5 percent local tax.
  • Under the House bill, the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority would oversee licensing and regulation of the new industry, while the Senate legislation calls for a new combined Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Control Authority.
  • The House bill calls for the proceeds to be allocated to a new Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund (60 percent), early childhood education (10 percent), the Department of Behavioral and Developmental Health Services (25 percent) and public health initiatives (5 percent). The Senate proposal, on the other hand, would put 30 percent into the capital reinvestment fund, 40 percent for early childhood education, 25 percent for the department of behavioral and developmental health services and 5 percent for public health initiatives.
  • Local governments could not allow marijuana companies to operate in their area.
  • Delivery services would be allowed.
  • Serving sizes would be limited to 10 milligrams of THC, with no more than 100 mg of THC per package.
  • Existing medical cannabis operators could enter the adult-use market if they pay a license conversion fee set at $15 million in the Senate bill and $10 million in the House measure.
  • Cannabis businesses should implement peaceful labor agreements with their employees.
  • A legislative committee would direct the addition of local consumer licenses and micro-enterprise cannabis event permits that would allow licensees to hold sales at farmers markets or pop-up locations. The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority would also investigate the possibility of involvement in marijuana regulation and enforcement.

Both the Virginia House and Senate Last month, he took action on multiple marijuana bills during a major deadline—accept proposals to legalize the sale of cannabis, provide a way to punish previous marijuana convictions and allow access to medical cannabis for seriously ill patients in hospitals.

As for the Senate marijuana sales bill, members recently clashed in committee over amendments to the body version that would add new penalties for illegal cannabis activity.

The amendments in the Judiciary Committee’s case included penalties for consumers who purchase from unlicensed sources, recriminalizing possession and sale of cannabis by those under 21, making it a Class 1 felony for a first offense and a felony punishable by a mandatory prison sentence for a second offense. As revised, the bill would also increase the penalty for unlicensed cultivation to a felony with up to five years in prison and make it a felony to transport cannabis with the intent to distribute it across state lines.

But the Finance and Appropriations Committee backed down the amendments last month, sending a letter to senators under pressure from a coalition of advocacy groups. saying that they undermined the “intent” of the legislation and “the will of the people” by adding criminal penalties to certain cannabis-related activities.

In general, both chambers’ commercial sales bills have largely aligned with recommendations released by the legislature in December. Joint Committee to Oversee the Transition to the Commonwealth Retail Cannabis Market.

Meanwhile, some members of the GOP have aligned ideologically with their Democratic colleagues throughout this legislative process, breaking with the majority of their caucus. in favor of creating a regulated market for adults to buy cannabis.

Since legalizing cannabis ownership and home cultivation in 2021, Virginia lawmakers have been working to establish a commercial marijuana market– Only for those efforts to stall under former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), who twice vetoed measures sent to his desk by the Legislature.

Governor Abigail Spanberger (D), for her part, supports legalizing the sale of marijuana to adults..

Meanwhile, members of the Virginia House and Senate advanced a pair of bills Monday, with amendments that provide a pathway to resentencing for people with prior marijuana convictions.

Members of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees approved alternate versions of the opposite chamber’s reform bill on Monday, setting the stage for bicameral negotiations as the measures move through the legislative process.

Legislation introduced in both chambers would create a process to consider changing the sentences under which people incarcerated or on community custody for certain felonies involving the possession, manufacture, sale or distribution of marijuana could receive an automatic trial.

Separately last month, the Virginia House patients passed a bill to allow the use of medical marijuana in hospitals. It would require health care facilities to implement policies “to address the situation in which an eligible patient is authorized to use medical cannabis.”

The Senate passed various pieces of legislation use of medical cannabis in healthcare facilities last month

—
It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracking and become a Patreon supporter to gain access
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Meanwhile, the Virginia House passed the bill earlier this month Protecting the rights of parents who use marijuana by complying with state laws.

Del. According to the proposal by Nadarius Clark (D), a parent or guardian’s own use of cannabis “shall not serve as a basis for a finding of abuse or neglect of a child unless other facts establish that its possession or consumption causes or produces physical or mental injury to the child.”

“A person’s legal possession or consumption of substances permitted (under state marijuana law) shall not serve as a basis for limiting custody or visitation unless other facts establish that such possession or consumption is not in the best interest of the child,” reads the text of HB 942.

Separately, the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry has published a new defining workplace protections for cannabis users.

Photo by Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.

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Swiss company launches nationwide price comparison tool for cannabis

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1 day ago

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March 2, 2026

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Evidena Care AG is one of the leading Swiss telemedicine platforms and specialized medical practices for medical cannabis. The company currently supports more than 2,000 patients across the country. Under the direction of Dr. Nicolai Berardi and two other specialist doctors, Evidena Care has focused on evidence-based, responsible and patient-centered treatment for the past two years.

Now, Evidena Care is launching a nationwide online comparison portal for medical cannabis products. The platform is designed for patients who already have a valid medical prescription and want a clear and reliable view of the market. For the first time in Switzerland, patients can directly compare products and prices from the country’s largest pharmacies in one place.

Medical cannabis plays an essential role in the treatment plans of many patients. At the same time, prices can vary significantly between pharmacies, even when the products contain the same levels of active ingredients. As these costs are often not covered by health insurance, or only partially covered, many patients have a heavy financial burden. The new portal addresses this issue by bringing transparency to a market that until now has been difficult to navigate.

The platform provides an overview of available products and dosages, clearly lists the active ingredient content, such as THC and CBD levels, and displays the current prices of leading Swiss pharmacies. Patients can directly compare options and make informed decisions that help optimize their therapy costs, without compromising medical guidance.

“Patients should not be victims of non-transparent pricing structures,” says Dr. Nicolai Berardi, CEO of Evidena Care AG. “We are creating transparency with our comparison portal, strengthening the self-responsibility of those affected and promoting fair competition in the interests of patients.”

The portal is only for people with a valid prescription. It serves as a true information tool and supports cost optimization in an existing therapy supervised by a physician.

For more information:
Evidena Care AG
Email: (email protected)
https://evidena.care/










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