Pope Francis had a taste of coca leaves, the main ingredient of cocaine, during his trip to Bolivia. A request he personally made during this trip for the medicinal properties of the leaves.
Not only was the Pontiff given the tea-laced with coca to be in deference to the tradition and local customs of Bolivia, it also helped the 78-year-old Pope Francis cope with the city's high altitude and thinner air, according to the Guardian.
The coca plant had been prohibited by the United Nations 1961 convention on narcotics because it is a main ingredient in making cocaine. However, in Bolivia, the coca plant is a main agricultural staple and it is even used as a mild stimulant and remedy to some minor ailments, the publication added.
Bolivian Culture Minister Marko Machicao said the Pope requested the leaves for chewing as well for the three-day visit, the Agence France Presse said as featured on Global News
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told reporters that the Pope can do as he wishes because it is part of the popular custom to heal altitude sickness.
Part of Bolivia's local beliefs is that the coca plant is sacred - a view not understood world-wide especially in countries that declared a war on drugs led by the United States.
