LA PAZ, Bolivia — Always Coca-Cola? Not if Bolivia's coca growers have their way.

The farmers want the word "Coca" dropped by the U.S. soft drink company, arguing that the potent shrub belongs to the cultural heritage of this Andean nation, where the coca leaf infuses everyday life and is sacred to many.

A commission of coca industry representatives advising an assembly rewriting Bolivia's constitution passed a resolution Wednesday calling on the Atlanta, Ga.-based company to take "Coca" out of its name and asking the United Nations to decriminalize the leaf.

The resolution demands "companies that include in their commercial name the name of coca (example: Coca Cola) refrain from using the name of the sacred leaf."

The commission is part of an effort led by President Evo Morales to rehabilitate the image of plant, known internationally as the base ingredient of cocaine.

Coca-Cola released a statement saying their trademark is "the most valuable and recognized brand in the world" and was protected under Bolivian law. The statement repeated the company's past denials that Coca-Cola has ever used cocaine as an ingredient.

"They need to understand our situation," said David Herrera, a state government supervisor for the coca-rich Chapare region. "They exported coca as a raw material for Coca-Cola, and we can't even freely sell it in Bolivia."

The government regulates the sale of coca to prevent use by the drug trade.