Ypadú or ypadu is an unrefined, unconcentrated powder

Powder (substance)

A powder is a dry,thick bulk solid composed of a large number of very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms powder and granular are sometimes used to distinguish separate classes of material...

 made from coca

Coca

Coca, Erythroxylum coca, is a plant in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. The plant plays a significant role in many traditional Andean cultures...

 leaves and the ash of various other plants. Like coca teas consumed in Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

 to adapt to sickness induced by high elevation, it has a long ethnobotanical history and cultural associations.

Background

A report by Pien Metaal and others written for the Transnational Institute

Transnational Institute

Transnational Institute is an international think tank for progressive politics. It was established in 1973 in Amsterdam and serves as a network for scholars and activists...

 ("Coca yes, cocaine no?", p. 19) states that:

Contemporary development of an ancient tradition

Foreign visitors to some Latin American countries have demonstrated an interest in commercial and cultural uses of the stimulant properties of the coca plant, which are less harmful than cocaine which is highly and unnaturally refined. A few websites depict a mild modern preparation of the powdery ypadu mixture using plastic jars and coffee grinders or food processors rather than the traditional implements such as clay vessels and mortar-and-pestles fashioned from wood. Peruvian coca of the genus Erythroxilum coca var

Erythroxylaceae

The Erythroxylaceae is a family of flowering plants consisting of 4 genera and approximately 240 species. The best-known species is the coca plant , the source of the drug cocaine....

has reportedly been used in this adaptation to produce effective mixtures with pleasant taste.

Support for the use of Ypadu

Proponents of coca recommend mass production of ypadu as a harmless replacement for heavily refined and concentrated cocaine. They argue that a mild alternative to cocaine would cut into the illicit drug trade and the costs it imposes on societies.

Criticism

Opponents of coca claim that mild coca derivatives can serve as gateways to cocaine abuse. They also claim that economic rewards brought to coca producers would fuel illicit coca production and, in turn, the cocaine cartels.

External links

• http://www.tni.org/reports/drugs/debate13.pdf (PDF)