Coca Tea and US Customs

Mr. Hollywood says on Jan 17, 2005, 10:47:

Not worth it. US Customs doesn't distinguish between coca products and cocaine. So don't risk it. You can look it up on the DEA website if you need more info.

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william_andrew_channell says on Jan 17, 2005, 10:59:

Stupid communist gringos Thanks for the info, or else you guys might have seen me on CNN being accused of being a mula or something. Back to the point, how can they not distinguish? Coca is a plant, cocaine is a naturally occurring compound found in the coca plant that is refined and concentrated in a complicated chemical process that also adds other many chemicals to the mix. No matter how much pure, raw coca you consume, you're not going to become a junkie, much less die from it. The effects of it are not even that astonishing. I drink coca tea because it tastes good. I think I'll go drink me a cup right now. Not like I'm addicted, I can stop anytime I want, just I don't want to stop, I need it man, I NEED IT!!

Yep. I have just confirmed it, while I was writing this post I looked at the DEA site and it says:

It's illegal to enter "coca leaves, except coca leaves and extracts of coca leaves from which cocaine, ecgonine, and derivatives of ecgonine or their salts have been removed; cocaine, its salts, optical and geometric isomers, and salts of isomers; ecgonine, its derivatives, their salts, isomers, and salts of isomers; or any compound, mixture, or preparation which contains any quantity of any of the substances referred to in this paragraph."

What if I put the tea bags in another normal tea box? Their machines wouldn't detect that would they? Stinking commies.

And for those of you who don't think the US isn't a communist country, here's the proof:

http://www.libertyzone.com/Communist-Manifesto-Planks.html

I'm still trying to figure out how people still believe that the US is a free country. "Free" my ass.

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Miguel says on Jan 17, 2005, 12:33:

Why Risk It? Don't you think "putting them into regular tea bags" has been tried before?!

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ACBlessing says on Jan 17, 2005, 12:58:

I got some I didn't think coca leaves would be a problem and since I like to chew them, I brought back a sandwich baggie full of them several years ago. I didn't get searched or anything but looking back, I'm guessing it was illegal. I just didn't think coca leaves amounted to the same thing as the refined byproduct.

Alex Blessing, Spokane, WA USA
alex at acblessing.com
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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william_andrew_channell says on Jan 17, 2005, 15:26:

It's true... but stupid "I just didn't think coca leaves amounted to the same thing as the refined byproduct."

It's like the police seeing a 16 yr old kid walking down the street with a bag of grapes and charging him with minor in possession of alcohol because wine is made from grapes.

It just don't make sense.

But as my dad used to tell me, "Common sense ain't so common."

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ColombianoX says on Jan 17, 2005, 15:31:

"And for those of you who don't think the US isn't a communist country, here's the proof:

http://www.libertyzone.com/Communist-Manifesto-Planks.html

I'm still trying to figure out how people still believe that the US is a free country. "Free" my ass."

-------------------------------------------------------------


Oh man, just wait till Tinto sees this!


CX

ColombianoX 'Defensor de la Colombianidad'

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Tinto (Moderator) says on Jan 17, 2005, 15:38:

I saw it, and I am biting my tongue. ;-)



Reading through the examples, though, nearly every country in the world falls into the same boat - public utilities, transportation, schools; some use of a "takings" clause in their constitution; some level of taxation; central banks, etc. Some of those Libertarian guys are pretty simplistic.

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william_andrew_channell says on Jan 17, 2005, 15:39:

It was only an example... I agree with you completely tinto.

The grape thing was only an example.

But, imagine how many bags of coca tea you would need to make even one hit of full strength cocaine.

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william_andrew_channell says on Jan 17, 2005, 15:43:

Not that it's a bad thing... ...that the US is a communist country, but let's call a spade a spade and recognize the situation for what it really is. Instead of running around commie-bashing and having the same policies at home.

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william_andrew_channell says on Jan 17, 2005, 15:53:

Do you think it would really trigger the drug dogs? You know they are trained to smell cocaine in it's refined form. I'm still starting to like the idea of putting the coca into normal tea bags. And if the dogs get after me, I'll just say that some Colombian guy told me to carry the box for him and pick out a random dude from the flight. You know those Customs and DEA agents would jump all over his Colombian ass. It's sad but true that they think almost every colombian is a drug dealer.

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Tinto (Moderator) says on Jan 17, 2005, 15:56:

But then they might nail you for lying about the check-in questions: Did you pack your bags, accept anything from strangers, have they been out of your sight? Seems high risk and low reward; must be really good tea.

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william_andrew_channell says on Jan 17, 2005, 15:57:

Another idea If they ask me what the leaves are just make up some other plant. I don't really think that the customs agents are really that well trained to recognize the coca leaf and distinguish it from the thousands of other leaves in the world. And if it doesn't set the machines off, the dude checking the bag won't think anything of it. Then I'm home free. Jajaja.

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Tinto (Moderator) says on Jan 17, 2005, 15:59:

point-counterpoint But if the leaves are green and look like they are fresh or recently alive, the U.S. Dept of Agriculture would confiscate them for fear of non-native bugs/pests.

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william_andrew_channell says on Jan 17, 2005, 15:59:

Not really I just realized something. The tea isn't anything special, just the thought of doing something illegal (however minor and stupid the law is) gets my delincuent mind running with ideas. Nah, I'll just leave the tea at home.

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william_andrew_channell says on Jan 17, 2005, 16:01:

Touché This GIB really knows his stuff. Hadn't thought of that. I bet you were on the debate team in high school.

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caslug says on Jan 17, 2005, 17:03:

william, just drink... coke coca leaves is the "secret" ingredient in Coke anyway. That's actually true not urban tale, when they tried to take the coca out of coke ala New Coke back in the 80's it fail rember. So they went back to what works. I'm heading out to Peru where i hear you can chew on it or drink it w/o problems.

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Mr. Hollywood says on Jan 17, 2005, 17:28:

Irrational, yes The law against coca tea importation is really silly, true, but is some tea really worth going to jail as an evil COCAINE SMUGGLER!?

No way.

It's like arresting someone for having poppyseeds on a bagel, but anti-drug policy was never really that rational.

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umm says on Jan 17, 2005, 18:20:

I did not have trouble carrying Coca tea with me around.
I buy the official packet e.g. Nasa Esh's Coca Nasa, Aromatica de Coca.
Maybe you run into problems if you just buy a pound of leaves from someone without further description.

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umm says on Jan 17, 2005, 18:25:

Submitted by Tinto on Mon, 0 Submitted by Tinto on Mon, 01/17/2005 - 23:59.

But if the leaves are green and look like they are fresh or recently alive, the U.S. Dept of Agriculture would confiscate them for fear of non-native bugs/pests.
I still remember when that stupid gringos wanted to introduce a fungus in Colombia to erradicate the Coca plants. That fungus is native to hawaii. Imagine what havock this fungus would have caused if it would have attacked Coffee plants, too.

For these stupid gringos everything is right and acceptable as long as it is not on THEIR soil, but it is acceptable to ruin OTHER countries.


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umm says on Jan 17, 2005, 19:49:

gringo,
how can the truth be ingnorant?
Better inform yourself about the practices of the gringo government.
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Lionheart says on Jan 17, 2005, 20:29:

look at yourself umm I wish you would take just as critical view at your own Colombian government as you do at others, then maybe we would get somewhere.

It is easy to blame everybody else, I call it lazy. If more of your kind would be critical in your own country then more could change, but that is work. So you just sit back, complain, and do nothing constructive for your own country.

Talk about practices in your own government before you talk about practices in gringo governments.

I challenge you umm ... tell us something about Colombia that is bad and needs to be changed, and how you would change it, without any references to other nations.

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umm says on Jan 17, 2005, 21:06:

What is bad?
the corruption

low salaries for the police, better higher salaries so that the police doesnt have to be corrupt

not everyone can have a good scool education, better education for all would solve many problems.

lots of bureaucracy hampering the progress and investments. Make it easy for the people to come to Colombia and invest and dont impose how much must at least be invested so that peole have the right to stay in Colombia. Right now peole MUST invest at least 100.000 US$ to gain the right to stay in Colombia. It used to be 200.000US$ some years ago. Some have a good idea but have to start small and 100.000$ is already a big investment. If you want to open e.g. a diving centre in Colombia, which is already something and it gives some work to local people, then you can do that with 20.000US$, but this small amount of money is not enough investment so that you would be allowed stay as long as you want, to get a residents permit.

high taxes, some still think that high taxes solve the governments money problems, attract more investment and attractive tax schemes would help much better. Greed doesnt do it but smart politics and patience.

security, that investors are not scared away by possible kidnapping, extorsion, insecurity. A more social politics with all parties at one table could help. Now there are only accusations instead of discussions. I would like to see that everyone has a say, including the FARC, the AUC, the ELN. I mean discussion and constructive ideas instead of struggle and reciprocative accusations.

etc....


But, I still hate that the USA introduced GLIFOSFATO in Colombia, a herbicide to kill the Coca plants but it also damages the health of people and animals. See whats happening in the Sierra Nevada. Glifosfato is just another example of the reckless policies of the US government. It would never be allwed to be used in the USA because of its dangers to people's and animal's health, but the USA sells it to Colombia because its THE OTHERS who will be affected by it.

Actually I got some Coca plants myself, but I dont touch them, I only look at them because they look very nice. So, sue me.

I actually do not like the Coca plantations because tht means that there will be less forest, but I would never use herbicides or alien fungi to destroy the plantation because thats simply reckless against nature.



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Lionheart says on Jan 17, 2005, 21:25:

thanks umm I must agree with your list of bad things, with more time for thought we could probably find a few more. A good basis for further discussions.

I also agree with you on the Glifosfato, the denial of the effects on human beings does not help at all. It reminds me of another pesticide scandal in Europe many years ago. Please correct me if I am using wrong name, I think it was PCB. It was released to the market way too early as wonder pesticide. Then Germany discovered the bad effects it had and banned it. Nevertheless it was still produced and used in Italy until the manufacturing plant blew up and killed many with the toxic fumes. My memory is rusty on the details. I have read it is still being made and used with all negative side effects in 3rd world countries, because it is cheap.

This simply tells us that capitalistic interests are everywhere, and not only the USA is to blame. The USA is no angel at all, but it takes more than one nation to blame. I think Colombia should ban it officially and stand strong by doing so. Just letting the USA enforce it and apply it is not the solution. It takes two to tango.

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umm says on Jan 17, 2005, 21:38:

PCB, or Poly Chlorinated Biphenyls should anyway be banned as well as many other chlorinated aromatic and aliphatic substances.
There are no naturally occuring chlorinated organic compounds and if there are then there are only very few chlorinated organic substances to be found in nature.
Chlorinated organic materials can cause a lot of problems, destroy people's health create allergies and inflammations, cancer...
Desinfectants often contain chlorinated organic compounds. Because of these they kill all kinds of bacteria and fungi. Many people use them on daily basis without knowing about the possible consequences for their health.
During the world war DDT, which was invented in 1937, was widely used as insecticide and against lice in human hair.
It looks harmless but only over time you see the negative impact of it......
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kernow62 says on Jan 17, 2005, 22:12:

My teapot was confiscated! Apparently the glaze contains lead.

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umm says on Jan 17, 2005, 22:13:

Didnt you know: Lead led in many to lead poisoning.
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Lionheart says on Jan 17, 2005, 22:18:

mea culpa I meant DDT, not PCB in my last post ... but PCB is also very dangerous.

Seveso, Italy
On July 10, 1976, an explosion occurred at a chemical plant where the herbicide 2,4,5-T was being manufactured by Hoffman LaRoche in the town of Meda, Italy. A visible chemical cloud containing an unknown amount of dioxins, a minor by-product of the chemical process, spread over several miles of the populated community of Seveso, Italy exposing more than 30,000 people, aged 20 to 74, to the toxic vapor. Over the next few months there was an alarming number of birth defects in the farm animal population that gave rise to widespread fear over the potential effects on the human inhabitants.

I am doing a search about which Latin American countries still import DDT, but the newest figures I can find are in 2002. General world-wide DDT restrictions:

http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_ChemReg.jsp?Rec_Id=PC33482

Pesticide Registration Information for Colombia:

http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Country.jsp?Country=Colombia

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umm says on Jan 17, 2005, 22:27:

You can see what Dioxine has done to V. Yuschenkos face/health.
Tetrachloro dioxine is already bad, but imagine that the Tetrabromo is by far worse.
There are always small amounts of dioxines created when chlorinated organic compounds are incinerated. Thats why the incineration temperature can never be high enough to get rid of small amounts of these quite stable molecules.

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kernow62 says on Jan 18, 2005, 05:01:

Sure I know about lead poisoning, it is a hazard of my job.

The comment was a bit tongue-in-cheek in reference to a US ban on "Brown Betty" teapots a few years ago, since rescinded I believe. Nothing makes such a good cuppa as a "Brown Betty", not even those Japanese teapots that cost hundred of dollars.

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Mr. Hollywood says on Jan 18, 2005, 08:22:

What I've heard about tea What I've heard 2nd hand is that US Customs generally just confiscates coca tea (such as the stuff you can buy in the store here) with a warning when they find it, but I'd never want to put myself at the mercy of a customs agent's mood when faced with a possible detention, trial and conviction for drug smuggling.

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kernow62 says on Jan 18, 2005, 15:34:

GIB is correct, however they use Roundup in a much higher strength than is available in the US. The strength used in Colombia would not be allowed in the US, and should not be tolerated in Colombia.

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caslug says on Jan 18, 2005, 16:18:

Tinto, that'll never happen.. afterall that would only be COMMON SENSE, which we all know gov't don't use. They rather do a longer, more expensive, illogical route. Because if it's common sense, who needs the lobbist or "experts" that are gettig paid.

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umm says on Jan 18, 2005, 19:59:

gringoinbogota
I was not talking about crop dusting.
maybe you should read the posts more precisely.
Maybe its just more ignorance on YOUR side.

In the USA they are so stupid you have to forbid lead because the people might eat paint. What else do they eat there? Window putty?
You have to write on a packet of screws: not for human consumption.
You have to write in the brochure of the microwave: Dont dry your cat in it.

So much about the mental capacity of the gringos.
When I write gringos then I mean the "inhabitants" of the USA.

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Mr. Hollywood says on Jan 18, 2005, 20:08:

Grow up, man Your gringo hatred is really immature, UMM.

The EPA banned lead in paint because breathing lead dust from decaying paint creates heightened levels of lead in the brains of young children, along with lowered mental capacity, not simply because kids were eating it. I'm willing to bet that housepaints in Colombia are also lead-free as a result of this research.

I challenge you to show me an American packet of screws that says "Not for human consumption" or a microwave with a brochure that says not to dry cats in it.

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umm says on Jan 18, 2005, 20:10:

well, gringoinbogota was writing something about "children eating paintchips"

People have in fact dried cats in a microwave oven in the USA and later wanted compensation for that from the Microwave producer.
Didnt you notice that all things in the USA come with a long description so that the people know how to handle them? Go to Yurp and the descriptions, especially the warnings part is much shorter.


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Mr. Hollywood says on Jan 18, 2005, 20:25:

Dried cats? Again, I challenge you to document a case of an American drying a cat in the microwave and suing the manufacturer.

Look, I don't think anyone here is a knee-jerk supporter of all things the US does around the world. But you take your dislike for the American govt. down to a disdain for the people of America and that's just not right.

I'm sure gringo kids never had the monopoly on paint eating. And Colombians do plenty of other stupid shit, too. So let's just stop the stereotyping based on nationalities, okay? Colombians really live in a glass house when it comes to that and shouldn't be throwing stones.

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umm says on Jan 18, 2005, 20:36:

Thats an old story every real US American can tell you about that.
I am not living in the USA but I have visited the USA quite often.
What do you want me to do now? Travel to the USA, get hols of one of those descriptions and send it to you?
Have you ever been to USA? Guess not. Otherwise you would know that.
But I got the impression that US citizens know very little about their own country and seems they dont even read descriptions.
One day I met one US American at the beach in El Rodadero and that stupid fellow wanted to tell me that all US bills (money)have a line in it when you are looking through the bills. He didnt even know that old bills didnt have that line and that it was only introduced recently. That was in the year 1995.
So much about what US Americans know about themselves which is SH...

BTW, if you want to poison someone, take Lead acetate. It looks like sugar and it tastes like sugar.
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Lionheart says on Jan 18, 2005, 20:54:

umm how often do I have to tell you to stop attacking the USA government, and now the people of the USA themselves.

stop bashing other nations and their people, you are insulting them.

Remember this site is about Colombia and not about the USA, too. Your posts are not showing anything relevent for Colombia again.

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umm says on Jan 18, 2005, 21:12:

Sorry,
if Mr Bollywood wouldnt have insisted in giving some details I wouldnt even have answerd that.


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umm says on Jan 18, 2005, 21:18:

I have a nice T-shirt which sais:
"No a la intervencion Gringa en Colombia"
I found that in the magazine "Resistencia"
I fully support that.

And if that "glifosfato" is in herbicides in the USA, a while ago I have read that its not in there because of health risks, then I can only recommend: get the US government to take it out immediately. Its no good. Better use Sodium Perchlorate. Thats more healthy.

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Bruce V. Shrader says on Jan 19, 2005, 01:59:

coca tea when we went to Popayan for Semana Santa.
(which, BTW, I highly recommend that you visit
the city during this time).

I purchased 2 boxes of Coca Tea. Each box contained
six tea bags. The boxes were plainly marked with
what they contained. I brought one of the boxes of
tea back to the U.S. in my bagage. I had no problem
with the U.S. Customs in Miami. I think that some of my
success was due to the fact that it was not refined
or concentrated.

It seems, to me, That since all bagage is inspected
at the Colombian airports when leaving; the U.S.
Customs do not pay too much attention when you enter
the U.S.

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chicharron says on Jan 19, 2005, 07:42:

freewheelin'
Mail order may be the safest option -
http://www.cocashop.com/

NB: 100mg of Coca leaf appears to have less than .7mg of the alkaloid cocaine

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coca-blog.blogspot.com says on May 24, 2006, 00:12:

visit my blog i live in the us and NEVER have any problems with my orders from http://coca-blog.blogspot.com
i have had dozens of orders through my site to the us with no problems.

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