Coca, cocaine & related

Events

From flawed review to real change: Indigenous and peasants’ rights and the future of the coca leaf

Geneva, Switzerland / Online

1 October 2026

IDPC and partners discuss the implications of the WHO's critical review of the coca leaf and explore how national and international mechanisms can better protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and coca-growing communities.

News12 October 2026

The World Health Organization coca review: A post mortem

Martin Jelsma argues that the WHO’s decision to maintain the plant's international scheduling disregards scientific evidence and Indigenous Peoples’ rights, reflecting inconsistencies in the UN drug control system and the need for reform.

News27 August 2026

Europe can’t stop the tide of cocaine

The rapid expansion of Europe's cocaine markets highlights the limitations of supply-side enforcement and strains already insufficient health responses.

Publications16 July 2026

Legal protection for coca - Genetics, human rights, Indigenous knowledge, cultural heritage and the coca leaf: exploring the legal options for safeguards

TNI explores viable ways to safeguard the genetic resources, cultural heritage and Indigenous knowledge of the coca leaf, as well as to protect legal markets from risks of misappropriation, biopiracy and corporate capture.

News12 July 2026

The sacred Indigenous origins of the coca leaf

Indigenous communities are reclaiming the coca leaf’s sacred origins and challenging decades of international control, criminalisation and stigma.

News17 April 2026

Every step to improve lives is worth fighting for: Martin Jelsma on a 30-year drug policy struggle

TNI's Programme Director for Drugs & Democracy reflects on his career, noting both key areas of progress and the persistent, damaging pull toward securitisation.

News13 April 2026

Will the coca leaf ever lose its stigma?

The recent WHO decision to maintain the international classification of coca leaf highlights ongoing tensions between drug control frameworks and Indigenous rights, cultural practices and scientific evidence.

News12 April 2026

Coca chronicles: Monitoring the UN coca review - Issue #7: Coca review denouement

The WHO’s decision to keep coca leaf under strict controls highlights weak legal reasoning, disregard for scientific evidence, and ongoing harms to Indigenous rights.

News23 March 2026

Erythroxylum coca: Los confundidos – A documentary amplifying indigenous voices on coca policy

TNI centres Indigenous and peasant voices from across the Andes, challenging the continued international control of the coca leaf.

Publications16 February 2026

Pipes as an engagement tool: Qualitative findings from a crack equipment and harm reduction training intervention in England

Harris et al. find that providing inhalation equipment alongside workforce training facilitates stronger relationships between providers and people who use crack, and new engagement opportunities, despite enduring structural barriers.

News12 February 2026

‘Coca leaf is life itself’: Andean growers’ hopes fade as WHO upholds global curb

The WHO has upheld the coca leaf’s severe international scheduling, maintaining restrictions despite evidence of its safety and longstanding Indigenous use.

News15 January 2026

The WHO says coca leaf isn’t very harmful—so why keep it on the hard drug list?

Despite its medicinal and cultural value, the coca leaf will remain a Schedule I drug, continuing the colonial legacy of prohibition.

Explore more content