Coca Leaves And Cocaine Analysis

Freud’s writing on Coca leaves and Cocaine takes a generally positive outlook. He spends a great deal of time emphasizing the relief from suffering, and the pleasure that cocaine can provide. Freud’s focus on the pleasure aspects of cocaine, reflect his own personal philosophies on the meaning of existence, and are not hampered by many of the concerns that nations or powerful figures must take into account. Governments and other figures and groups were hampered by concerns for the general welfare of society, and their power and control over the substance. The portrayal of cocaine and actions concerning its’ use differs greatly when comparing a nation such as the U.S or Spain, to an individual, such as Freud. This contrast sheds light on …show more content…
This may seem counter-intuitive since governments and people in power should be concerned with productivity. However, the United State’s indifference towards the potential production boost for workers, only reveals that the need to have control, is stronger than the need to raise productivity. Individuals do not share the same priorities, and can ignore aspects of power and control. If a magical pill appeared from a foreign land that allowed people to sleep only once a year, the U.S government would be slow to endorse it. Especially if we had nothing to do with the production, distribution, or regulation of the pill. Individuals would have no problem using the magic pill, but the government and the elite would hesitate unless they held the reigns. This behavior has taken place several times. Spanish conquerors initially banned coca leaves and thought they were the work of the devil(Freud, 1884, p.50). It was only when they saw how much more capable the Indians were after chewing coca leaves, that the Spanish lifted the ban. Today the relationship between state and labour is weaker, and a government is less likely to feel the need to push their citizens to their mental or physical limit. Perhaps if cocaine had reached America at the height of slavery, it would have been adopted swiftly. The Spaniards certainly had no problem increasing Coca production, which, “facilitated the availability of a remarkable stimulant whose properties enabled the natives to repress their hunger while enhancing their endurance for work” (Gagliano, 1994, p. 45). Regardless, the benefit from increased productivity is clearly not worth it if the people in power have no control over the substance. Europeans knew of cocoa leaves since the 16th century, but did not seriously investigate the plant until the 19th century (Freud, 1884, p.53). Despite its use in the Americas,