Why do people turn to psychedelics like ayahuasca?

The ayahuasca it’s a tea with psychedelic effects whose roots go back hundreds of years, to the ceremonial use of the indigenous groups of the Amazon region.

It is widely used in South America, where it is legal in several countries, including Peru and Brazil, but remains illegal in the United States because the brew contains the chemical N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT).

However, ayahuasca is becoming more popular in the United States and interest has increased after celebrities such as NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Hollywood star Will Smith say they have participated in ceremonies with the substance. Ayahuasca sympathizers have created churches to carry out their ceremonies, which are mostly held underground in homes, in rented facilities or in remote places such as deserts.

What happens to someone when they drink the tea?

Those who drink ayahuasca report seeing shapes and colors and embarking on dream journeys that can last several hours. Some maintain that they have been reunited with deceased relatives, as well as friends and a variety of spirits who speak to them.

Surveys of tea drinkers reveal that most experience a variety of physical and mental effects after drinking ayahuasca. The most common physical reaction, according to a PLOS Global Health study, was vomiting or nausea, but other minor side effects include abdominal pain and headache. Most of the participants also report seeing and hearing things, feeling lonely or having nightmares, although almost all of those who reported having mental effects felt that they were beneficial to their personal growth. According to the study, 2.3% of those surveyed mentioned that they needed medical attention after taking ayahuasca.

Why do people take ayahuasca?

More and more people in the United States are turning to ayahuasca to treat a variety of mental ailments that they believe conventional medicine has not been able to remedy.

Many turn to the ceremonies to help with eating disorders, depression, substance use disorders, and post-traumatic stress. A study conducted based on data from the Global Ayahuasca Project reported that 78% of people with depression felt they had “greatly improved” either “completely resolved” their situation, while 70% of people with anxiety stated that their symptoms had “greatly improved” or were “completely resolved”. Another study found a link between taking ayahuasca and lower alcohol and other drug use.

But medical experts caution that there isn’t enough research in the United States to confirm these findings, although smaller studies have been done in Brazil and other countries.

“It’s not really the same types of studies that have been done on the ground in the United States that let us know how well it really works, who it works best for, and what the real side effects are.”says Anthony Back, a professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. Back is leading a study using psilocybin, a hallucinogen found in some mushrooms, to help doctors and nurses with work-related symptoms of depression and burnout during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Our knowledge (about ayahuasca) is somewhat limited”add. “There is not as much information about safety as other regular medical treatments that someone might receive if they go to a conventional doctor in the United States. I would say that it is in some ways in the early stages: Interesting, intriguing, promising”.

Where is the movement headed?

Some ayahuasca supporters worry that the popularity of the substance could prompt a crackdown by the federal government. Some advocates point out that shipments of ayahuasca from South America have been confiscated and churches have been closed for fear of legal trouble. Others say they are concerned about reports of sexual assaults during ceremonies, sick participants or organizers ripping people off, incidents that could prompt the federal government to intervene.

Some groups have formed churches in the hope of shielding themselves from prosecution through a 2006 US Supreme Court ruling. Citing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a New Mexico church won the right to use ayahuasca as a sacrament . A subsequent lower court decision ruled that the Oregon branches of another ayahuasca church could use it.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which declined to comment for this report, established a system in 2009 for churches to be recognized as exceptions to the Controlled Substances Act, But Sean McAllister, who is representing an Arizona church in a lawsuit against the federal government after its Peruvian ayahuasca was seized at the Los Angeles port, said the churches have not been approved. Most people in the movement, he added, see that option as “a complete waste of time.”

“The government wants to control this. He wants to keep it as small as possible.”McAllister said, adding that the DEA will be skeptical of those who claim that ayahuasca connects them to God.

Could decriminalization help?

Some supporters hope that moves to decriminalize ayahuasca and other psychedelics in several states will reduce the risk of prosecution. Decriminalization efforts have been successful in Colorado and Oregon and a bill is pending in California. More than a dozen cities—mainly in California, Massachusetts and Washington—have passed resolutions de-emphasizing prosecution for the use of various drugs, including ayahuasca.

“Part of what we’re trying to do is get the word out and change the laws in America so that this is 100% legal and no one has to worry about it.” Brian Cantalupi, lead facilitator for the California-based Hummingbird Church, told participants in a recent ayahuasca ceremony. The church, which once operated largely underground, now holds ceremonies outdoors.

But it is not clear whether the new laws sanction ayahuasca ceremonies. Even if they did, the participants could still face prosecution on federal charges.

“From a Colorado perspective, it appears that under the new law, people can come together and share ayahuasca, but the question is how much are they allowed to consume? That’s not clear.”says Mason Marks, a senior fellow on a psychedelics project at the Petrie-Flom Center at Harvard Law School. “It doesn’t mean it’s free for all and people can do what they want. There are still a lot of restrictions.”.

(With information from AP)