Ancient psychoactive plants in a global village: The ritual use of cannabis in a self-managed community in Catalonia.
Maja Kohek, Constanza Sánchez Avilés, Oriol Romaní, José Carlos Bouso
International Journal of Drug Policy December 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103390 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | A phenomenological community in rural Catalonia that uses ancient psychoactive plants in ritual contexts |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Ancient psychoactive plants Drug policy Ritual |
| Citations | 14 |
| Key findings | Ritual use of cannabis and other ancient psychoactive plants in rural Catalonia functions as a harm reduction technique and strengthens community bonds, with participants viewing these practices as spiritual self-care rather than addiction. |
Abstract
Cannabis is a plant with a rich history of medical, recreational, industrial and spiritual uses. This paper aims to explore drug use rituals as methods of community-controlled use that help maintain a self-regulated and healthy relation to the substance in questions. Furthermore, it explores how cannabis is used in developing spirituality and a sense of community. The ritual use of cannabis is discussed in the context of drug policy. Ethnographic research methods, such as fieldwork, participant observation, in-depth interviews, and qualitative analysis, were used to research a phenomenological community in rural Catalonia, where ancient psychoactive plants (APP), such as ayahuasca and cannabis, are regularly used in a ritual context. Cannabis has a long history of ritual/spiritual uses and is still being used for such purposes in Catalonia. The rituals are effective harm reduction techniques and can even generate beneficial effects for the individual as well as the community by strengthening bonds between community members. The rituals associated with APP are seen as spiritual or religious practices, as well as forms of self-care and community-care, rather than involving drug dependence or addiction. The contemporary use of APP in Western societies is gaining popularity. International drug policies and the schedule of controlled drugs claim to be based on scientific evidence, but this evidence is limited. The contemporary myopic focus on the risks and harms of drugs overlooks important realities, such as the benefits of non-problematic drug use. These omissions could in part be rectified through the consideration of scientific findings from the field of ethnography regarding the spiritual and community dimensions of drug use.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychoactive substances as a last resort—a qualitative study of self-treatment of migraine and cluster headaches Users of online forums discussing cluster headache and migraine treatments | 2017 | Qualitative thematic analysis | |
| Psychoactive drug or mystical incense? Overview of the online available information on Spice products Web pages related to Spice products | 2009 | Qualitative study | n = 200 |
| Patterns, Trends, and Meanings of Drug Use by Dance-drug Users in Edinburgh, Scotland Clubbers in clubs and pre-club bars | 2004 | Cross-sectional survey with focus groups | n = 124 |
| Fascination and Social Togetherness-Discussions about Spice Smoking on a Swedish Internet Forum. Swedish internet forum users who posted reports about Spice intoxication | 2013 | Qualitative study | n = 40 |
| Cannabis as entheogen: survey and interview data on the spiritual use of cannabis. Participants recruited from seven online communities, median age 33, 81% male | 2020 | Mixed methods (qualitative interviews and quantitative survey) | n = 319 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- De crecer en la selva a practicar la ayahuasca en la ciudad: una exploración de la globalización de la ayahuasca en términos de autenticidad, autoatención y de los retos de dicha globalización para la antropología médica Revista de Antropología Social November 20, 2023
- The Psychedelic Social Club: a regulatory concept for people who use psychedelics? Drugs Education Prevention and Policy October 30, 2023
- Ayahuasca: significados entre la historia, la medicina y la cultura Apuntes Universitarios December 2, 2022
- Ayahuasca: Ruhların Sarmaşığı Şırnak Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi October 27, 2021
- A new insight into ayahuasca's adverse effects: Reanalysis and perspectives on its mediating role in mental health from the Global Ayahuasca Survey (GAS). PLOS mental health 2025
and 2 more in the library
Cites 13
- Human Psychopharmacology of Hoasca, A Plant Hallucinogen Used in Ritual Context in Brazil The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease February 1, 1996
- The Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca: Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization. Frontiers in Pharmacology March 2, 2016
- Assessment of addiction severity among ritual users of ayahuasca Drug and Alcohol Dependence June 17, 2010
- Psychological and cognitive effects of long-term peyote use among Native Americans. Biological Psychiatry October 15, 2005
- Therapeutic Effects of Ritual Ayahuasca Use in the Treatment of Substance Dependence—Qualitative Results Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2014
and 8 more in the library