Ayahuasca and the process of regulation in Brazil and internationally: Implications and challenges
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Kevin Feeney
International Journal of Drug Policy August 19, 2011 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2011.06.006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Process computing Process management Anthropology |
| Citations | 142 |
| Key findings | Brazil's regulatory process for ayahuasca, culminating in the 2010 CONAD resolution, exemplifies a progressive approach that considered anthropology and involved religious representatives, influencing international decisions. |
Abstract
BackgroundThis paper provides a summary and analysis of the regulation of ayahuasca in Brazil, from its prohibition in the mid-eighties to the recent adoption of CONAD's (Conselho Nacional de Políticas sobre Drogas) 2010 Resolution, which established a set of rules, norms and ethical principles to be applied to religious and ritual uses of ayahuasca. Brazil's regulatory process is used as a starting point to explore emerging international regulatory themes as various nations respond to the global expansion of the Santo Daime and UDV (União do Vegetal) ayahuasca religions.MethodsThe text reviews the primary legislative and court documents, academic literature, as well as solicited expert opinions.ResultsThree prominent themes have emerged internationally. The first concerns the scope of international treaties regarding plant-based psychoactive substances, as well as the responsibilities of individual nations to adhere to said treaties. The second concerns the scope of religious liberty and how to determine religious legitimacy. The final theme addresses the potential dangers of ayahuasca to health and public safety.ConclusionOver the past 20 years the Brazilian ayahuasca religions have established a global presence, with congregations in the USA, Canada, Japan, South Africa, Australia, and throughout Europe and Latin America. As a result, many nations are faced with the predicament of balancing the interests of these religious minorities with the international "war on drugs." The regulatory process applied in Brazil exemplifies a progressive approach, one which considered issues of anthropology and involved representatives of ayahuasca religions, and which provided a degree of deference to the principle of religious liberty. The Brazilian process has influenced judicial and administrative decisions internationally, and stands as a model worthy of further consideration.
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- Ayahuasca, dimethyltryptamine, and psychosis: a systematic review of human studies Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology February 23, 2017
- Therapeutic Effects of Ritual Ayahuasca Use in the Treatment of Substance Dependence—Qualitative Results Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2014
- Short term changes in the proteome of human cerebral organoids induced by 5-MeO-DMT. Scientific Reports October 9, 2017
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Cites 8
- Subjective effects and tolerability of the South American psychoactive beverage Ayahuasca in healthy volunteers Psychopharmacology February 22, 2001
- Ayahuasca, Ritual and Religion in Brazil April 8, 2016
- Consumption of Ayahuasca by Children and Pregnant Women: Medical Controversies and Religious Perspectives Journal of Psychoactive Drugs March 28, 2011
- The "vine of the soul" vs. the Controlled Substances Act: implications of the hoasca case. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs June 1, 2008
- Religious Uses of Licit and Illicit Psychoactive Substances in a Branch of the Santo Daime Religion Fieldwork in Religion November 27, 2008
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