HerbalGram Publishes Special Coca Issue

The American Botanical Council (ABC) announced the publication of a special issue of the HerbalGram journal dedicated to the herb coca (Erythroxylum coca).

Coca is most often thought of as the plant source of cocaine, but it is also a highly revered traditional medicine used by indigenous people of South America for energy enhancement, as a means to prevent altitude sickness, and more.

The special issue brings together international experts from several disciplines to explore the plant’s history, traditional uses and ethnobotany, modern scientific research, and the legal and regulatory landscape.

The special issue will address misinformation surrounding the herb, and bring attention to its nutritional and therapeutic benefits sought after by indigenous communities in the Andes and beyond.

Coca-related content will include articles and photography on the following subjects:

• “The Sacred Leaf,” an in-depth feature by renowned anthropologist, ethnobotanist, and author Wade Davis, PhD, on coca’s cultural and spiritual significance in the Andes and Amazon.
• An inside look at Peru’s National Coca Company (ENACO) by “Medicine Hunter” Chris Kilham, examining the organization’s role in the legal coca trade, as well as its connection to Coca-Cola.
• An overview of the development of a coca botanical drug candidate written by ethnobotanist Steven King, PhD, of Magdalena Biosciences, exploring current clinical research on coca leaf extract for use as a promising USFDA-approved medicine. He also contributed a book review, photography, and expert feedback on much of the issue’s content.
• A feature on the interdisciplinary Khoka Project by Susana Mejía and Daniel Montoya-Cataño, highlighting Medellín, Colombia’s initiative’s efforts to change public perception of coca through art and science.
• A comprehensive Coca Herb Profile by Traci Pantuso, ND, MS, of the Beneficial Plants Research Association (BPRA).
• A conference report by ethnopharmacologist Dennis McKenna, PhD, covering a 2025 summit of research scientists and coca experts conducting research on coca.

On HerbTV, ABC’s YouTube channel, it released an 11-part video series, “On the Coca Trail,” with Medicine Hunter Chris Kilham and his coca-related travels in the Peruvian Andes. It will showcase never-before-seen footage of ENACO, the Peruvian national coca company, Kilham, and his partner Sergio Cam, who were given unusual, unrestricted access to ENACO facilities in Lima and other parts of Peru.